The Witch Bride
by alias093001
Summary: Can true love really conquer all? Can it mend a relationship thought to be destroyed long ago? True Love. It is a powerful magic. One girl’s heart is broken. Will True Love be able to save her?
1. Story Time

Before I even begin, it is important to note that this story runs canon, only through the middle of fourth year. Cedric never made it to the Cup, but rather was attacked mid-way through the maze. Only Harry witnessed Voldemort's rebirth.

On a secondary note, Voldemort is slightly different than in the books. I can't say why. You'll have to read to find out the reason.

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**Chapter 1: Story Time**

_An eleven year-old red-headed girl looked out at the blackened sky, her eyes transfixed on the glimmering brilliance of the stars above. From her perch on the balcony, she could just faintly make out her favorite constellation. She traced the stars with a pale finger before hearing the piercing call of her mother. "Sweetheart! It's time for you to go to bed!" the voice called from what sounded like the first floor. "You have a big day tomorrow."_

"_Yes Mother!" she called. Pulling the balcony doors shut as she came past, the girl wondered what tomorrow would bring. Her first day at Hogwarts; a day every eleven year-old looked forward to with great anticipation. She wanted more than anything to attend the school her parents spoke so fondly of over the years. The way her mother and father spoke of Hogwarts made it seem as if Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was the most magical place in the world. And, she wanted more than anything to attend; to have a firsthand account of the school her parents loved so much would make her life complete._

_The girl pulled her silk nightgown over her head and ran downstairs, only to run straight into her mother. She was less than pleased to see her daughter; the obviousness of this assessment was written on her mother's face. It was same one her grandmother used. "Buttercup, what are you doing down here?" her mother asked. "If you wish to be well rested for tomorrow, you must march your butt right upstairs; otherwise, your father and I will keep you home."_

_Buttercup shook her head, her bright red hair whipping across her face. "No!" she cried, her lower lip quivering at the prospect of what her beloved mother suggested. "Don't do that!" The thought of not being able to attend the school she dreamed so much about frightened her. _

"_Upstairs with you then," her mother insisted._

"_I…I…I…wanted…to…ask you something," Buttercup stammered. _

"_And, what is that?" she asked._

"_I was hoping that you might tell me a story before I go to bed tonight," Buttercup stated. "Tonight's my last night at home, and I was hoping it might be a way for me to remember you and Father." It was a small request, one Buttercup knew her mother could fulfill._

_Her mother let out a low sigh. Buttercup could see a small smile on her mother's face, and a knowing grin made its way to her own face with the knowledge that she would get what she asked for. "Okay, Buttercup. I just need to go see what your father is doing. Go upstairs and get in bed; I'll be up there in a few minutes to tell you a story, one I think you'll enjoy."_

_Buttercup hurried off, tearing up the stairs. In anticipation of both tomorrow and finding out what story she would be told, she ran. Upon settling herself underneath silken white sheets and a fluffy white comforter, Buttercup propped herself up against a pillow to listen to the story. "What's the story tonight?" she asked when her mother came strolling into the room._

_A bright gleam in the woman's dark brown eyes could be seen as she pulled up a chair towards her daughter's bed. "This is a story I'm quite fond of, one that I have yet to tell you." She sighed softly. "I never intended on telling you this story quite yet—wanting to wait until you were a little older—but your father wants it told now, before you enter Hogwarts tomorrow."_

_Knowing her father, he had to have a good reason for this story to be told now. The man was never one to do things without thinking things through. Buttercup wondered what the reason for this particular story being told was. "What the story called?" she asked her mother. _

"_The Witch Bride."_

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_**Author's Note: I could not resist writing this story. It's based on my favorite movie in the world: The Princess Bride. I've tailored the story William Goldman wrote to fit into the Harry Potter World. Leave a review.**


	2. Ferrets and Weasels

**Chapter 2: Ferrets and Weasels**

_"The Witch Bride?" Buttercup asked with uncertainty._

_Her mother nodded. "As I said before, sharing this story with you is not my wish; rather it is your father's. He feels as if you are ready to hear this story. It's a story of chases, escapes, monsters, revenge, true love, and miracles. If I do say so myself, it is a beautiful story."_

_"Please start then, Mum."_

_She nodded. "Ahh, well…"_

Ginerva—Ginny for short—Weasley grew up in a small house called The Burrow. With six older brothers, she always found herself to be in the minority. She was only girl born into the Weasley family in generations, and she felt a sense to prove herself. She entered Hogwarts hoping that she might find a way to prove that she was not just _another_ Weasley. Like her brothers before her, Ginny was sorted into Gryffindor; bravery being a common trait in the Weasley clan, she knew she would have a find a different way to prove just how different she was from her brothers. To be her own person; it was all she wanted.

As the years went by, Ginny saw herself getting no closer to her goal. Sure she was good in school, and had a few friends, but she always seemed to be overshadowed by the identities her older brothers had. Bill was Head Boy; Charlie had Quidditch under his belt; Percy was a know-it-all git who followed in Bill's tradition of becoming Head Boy; Fred and George were the jokesters, the trouble-makers; and Ron…well, Ron was a mixture of Fred, George, and Charlie. There was no truly unique identity for Ginny to take.

It was only after fifth year that Ginny started stepping into an identity all her own. Ron was getting ready to begin his final year at Hogwarts, and it was high time that Ginerva Molly Weasley became her own person; never again did she wish to be known as the only Weasley girl. She was her own person and was about to prove it. Much like Charlie and Ron before her, Ginny found herself enjoying Quidditch. Flying was a euphoric feeling; it was cathartic. She felt free, free of her brothers' overbearing shadows looming over her. Soaring above the clouds, her bright red hair whipping against her skin; the feeling was exhilarating. Whenever she could, Ginny would grab her broom and head out to the Quidditch pitch.

Aside from flying, Ginny enjoyed tormenting the most recognizable Slytherin in Hogwarts: Draco Malfoy. It was a habit she picked up from Ron, and it stayed within her over the years. Since he was a year above her, Ginny walked into Hogwarts knowing how much of a prick the boy was. For years, Ginny joined in the taunting, pestering the _Slytherin Prince_ to no end. Ginny recalled her favorite instance as being when the pale blond become a ferret. Following this instance, Draco Malfoy became Ferret Boy. Since his fourth year, no one—aside from the Slytherins who respected him too much—called him anything but ferret again.

Not that it really mattered anyway. Ginny and Ron were often called Weasel by him anyway. When Ron wasn't around, it was Weasel; when he was, it was Weaselette or Girl Weasel. Ferret was tantamount to the same humiliation Ron and Ginny dealt with from the Slytherins about Weasel.

_"But, Mum," Buttercup stated, interrupting her mother's story. "Aren't weasels and ferrets the same thing?"_

_Her mother laughed. "They are indeed. Ferrets are part of the weasel family. Not like any of them ever realized any of this though. Draco was too proud to admit something like that; and Ron was too thick-headed to realize what you so clearly have in mere seconds. If anyone knew, Ginny realized what you just have, but promptly forgot about it." _

_"What idiots," Buttercup muttered quietly._

_"Idiots indeed," the mother laughed. "Anyway…"_

It was around mid-January of her sixth year in which Ginny Weasley noticed something odd about the way the _Ferret_ was acting. He seemed off; and, the inflection in which he said Weasel when speaking to her was not to its usual standard, not when comparing it to Ron. All throughout his final year at Hogwarts, the _ferret_ was off; it was four months later that she began noticing the shift. The _ferret _seemed almost kinder to her. And, Ginny suspected she knew the reason: when Draco Malfoy called her Weasel, it was no longer in disgust as it was with her brother; calling Ginny Weasel or any variation there of, he was secretly confessing his feelings for her, the feelings buried deep down inside his cold heart.

And, to Ginny's own surprise, she found herself actually _caring_ about the ferret, someone she and Ron often liked to torment. Realizing that she actually _cared_ about Draco Malfoy, Ginny set up a secret meeting between her and Malfoy. Telling no one, not her brother, friends, or even Malfoy, Ginny slipped out to the Forbidden Forest. They were to meet at dusk, in a place no one would ever think to look. Ginny's heart leapt—to her surprise—when she watched Malfoy emerge from the castle. Confusion from the anonymous letter he received was written all over his face. Ginny could only wonder how he might react to what she did.

A hand brushed over his soft blond hair as Malfoy reached the edge of the forest. Seeing no one, he looked positively pissed. He was about to walk away when Ginny called out. "Over here!"

"Weasel?" he asked in surprise. "What are _you _doing here?"

Ginny swallowed the lump in her throat. "Actually, _that's_ what I wanted to talk to you about. Just say it, Draco. Tell me how you _really _feel; I already know, so no need to deny it."

"What makes you think you know?" Malfoy asked indignantly.

"Because I called you _Draco_. You, of all people, should know I don't do that," Ginny insisted, enraged that the ferret would still speak to her in such a way when she was only trying to be nice. She could not understand how the boy could speak so boorishly to someone he clearly cared about.

"Yes, I noted the absence of _ferret. _And, while I am pleased not to hear that infuriating name, it doesn't mean you'll get the answers you seek. You wasted your time, and mine in calling me down here." Malfoy huffed and turned away from Ginny, not wishing to continue the conversation.

Before he could leave, Ginny yanked on his sleeve, pulling him back towards her. "Just say it, Draco; we both know you want to. You've been trying to say it for months, but never built up the courage." She grinned, a hint of amusement entering her voice. "I suppose that's why the Sorting Hat took a nanosecond to determine that you were best suited for Slytherin," she said, recalling what Ron told her about his own Sorting ceremony. "You're too much of a coward to go for what you really want in life; and you'll live a lonely, miserable life because of it." She stormed past the infamous Ferret Boy, and headed back up to the castle for the night. _Take the bait, Draco; you know you want to._

Just as Ginny suspected, Draco ran after her; whirling her around to face him, he cupped her face, bringing it closer to his. A tiny part of her squealed silently in delight as his lips were pressed firmly on her own. Ginny smiled into Draco's kiss, knowing she was right. He pulled away, his stormy gray eyes never leaving her. "Happy?" he inquired. "Somewhere within the past six months, a part of me snapped. I don't remember what caused it—I blocked out what happened—but what brought me back was the thought of your face. It was you, of all people, that kept me from going truly insane during whatever traumatic event I witnessed to cause my memory loss. Considering your family's blood-traitor status, I never wanted to admit it. But, I did; it trickled through every time I called you Weasel. You know now that a part of me is in love with you, one I buried deep down inside me. But, know this, Weasel: things _must not_ change between us, not now that you know."

While she understood where he coming from—for Ron would most assuredly murder her if he knew whom she was with—Ginny could not in good conscience bring herself to go along with it. "Things _need_ to change, Draco," she stated. "As much as you may not want to, they _must_."

"Really? How come?" he asked.

Knowing he could surely understand after his own bold move, Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him softly. "Because I feel the same way." She pulled away and, after glancing at him once more, headed back up to the castle. "Things _are_ going to change, Draco," she called over her shoulder. "I just hope you're ready for them," she continued in a low whisper.

_Buttercup smiled at the thought of this beautiful image, of Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley falling in love. They both seemed so stubborn, so determined to make their own paths. Ginny seemed to determined to prove to everyone—especially herself—that she was different from her brothers; and Draco…well, he seemed determined to get what he wanted, or at least what was expected of him. Yet, from the story her mother was telling, there was also a part of them that drew them to each other. "That's so romantic," she said with a sigh. "They're trying so hard to push on with their lives, when it's so clear that they belong in each other's arms. How long could it possibly take for them—especially Draco—to realize this."_

_This interruption earned a stern glare from her mother. "If you want me to tell this story, please don't interrupt. It's a lengthy tale, and your father wants you hear it tonight. Now, to continue…"_

Ginerva Weasley found what she was looking for, the one thing she would be known for that her brothers couldn't; forever did she wish to be known as the one who softened Draco Malfoy's heart. Her meeting with him in the Forbidden Forest may not have gone as she anticipated, but her plan still worked. His true feelings for her—whether Draco liked it or not—were out in the open. And, Ginny would do what she could prove to him that this was okay.

But, Draco was a tough nut to crack. He seemed impervious to all of her efforts. For a full week, Ginny saw a stoic expression on his face. It was unnerving to say the least, and Ginny knew that drastic action was required if she were to break through Draco's tough exterior. It was a challenge she was willing to take on, one she was meant to do no matter what.

As the week drew to a close, Ginny once again sent Draco an anonymous letter telling him to meet her. If he knew it was her, he would never come. With the forced confession, Ginny felt certain of what was to come. This time, however, she was not about to let him walk away so easily. She was the one to walk away the time before, but she expected him to follow. Clearly, he did not, so Ginny needed to seek him out; she needed to help him realize what she already had. The two were to meet outside the Room of Requirement in order to talk.

Midnight brought Ginny sitting just outside the Room of Requirement. Draco had not yet come, but she was not about to give up on him. She would convince him yet. But there was a problem: her soft brown eyes felt heavy, and it wasn't long before she drifted into a deep slumber.

"Weasel!"

Ginny smiled when she heard that voice. Only one person could be the owner of that voice. Without opening her eyes even, Ginny knew. "I knew if I waited, you'd come, Draco."

"Yeah; you waited. Feel asleep is more like it," Draco muttered softly. Ginny's eyes fluttered open and could clearly see that she was in a soft bed, wrapped under silken sheets. "If I hadn't come across you last night, Filch or Mrs. Norris surely would _have_ caught you."

"You actually care?" Ginny asked as she sat up, knowing that Draco cared on some level. "I would have thought that me being a Gryffindor would deter you from coming to my rescue; you would _want_ me to earn a detention because it would cause me to lose house points."

Draco eyed her warily. "After our meeting last week, you should know the answer to that. Of course I care, Weasel. But, what you don't understand is that, no matter my feelings, I can't act upon them. It's not what's expected of me. I'm a Pureblood; you're a blood traitor. There's no way my loving you would ever help with. Sorry, Weasel; this isn't going to work."

"No!" Ginny yelled indignantly. If he continued acting like this, Draco would slip through her fingers; she was not about to let that happen. "Ferret, you're a coward! You're too afraid to go after what you want—and keep hold of it. Forget your image, Draco, and take what you want. Anyone who won't accept your choice is someone you shouldn't associate yourself with."

Somewhere deep inside, Ginny's words reached him. For what he wanted, he severed all ties with those once associated with him. He even went so far as to deny his inheritance. If his father was going to do it anyway when he discovered the truth, it might as well have been initiated by him. To get what _he_ wanted, this was all Draco Malfoy could do for his life.

During the last few months of Draco's Hogwarts career, he did not care what others said of him spending time with Ginny Weasley. It didn't matter anymore. He still preferred to call her Weasel, but it was done out of adoration rather than disgust as it was with her brother. They spent as much time with each as would allow; Ginny dreaded the day when they had to part. That day came all too soon, and Ginny was in tears when it came time for Draco to leave her.

Having given up his inheritance, Draco needed to go out into the world to seek his own place. He intended on going out to seek his own fortune, to prove that he was not just another spineless Malfoy. Draco held her close, whispering in her ear. "This isn't the last you'll see of me. I'll come back for you."

"Are you sure of that?" Ginny asked.

He nodded. "Of course I am, Ginny. This is true love. Trust that I will come back," he said, giving her one last kiss before grabbing his broom and flying off to leave Ginny alone, and in tears.

A few months went by without word from Draco, and Ginny was set to begin her final year in Hogwarts. She thought of him often and wondered why he had not contacted her. Though he was probably busy trying to achieve his goal, he at least should have contacted her to say that he was okay. And, that bothered her immensely. As the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, a large eagle owl swooped in, dropping a letter in Ginny's hand. For the moment, Ginny pressed the letter into her pocket and headed over to one of the carriages. She would read it in the Great Hall as Dumbledore gave his speech. She'd barely be able to pay attention anyway; for the past few months, Ginny's mind was elsewhere: on Draco. Concern for his well-being was all that mattered to Ginny right now.

Upon reaching the castle and entering the Great Hall, Ginny could wait no longer. She sat down and tore open the letter. She gasped at the contents of the letter, trying to understand how this was possible.

**_Miss Weasley,_**

**_Given your close association with one Mister Draco Malfoy, it is my duty to inform you of the recent events. He has died of injuries sustained in a cataclysmic wizard duel with Lord Voldemort._**

**_Regretfully, _**

**_Bellatrix Lestrange_**

A single tear fell from her face and landed on the letter before she crumpled the note up and ran from the Great Hall. She dropped the note, pulling her wand out as she did so. "Incendio," she muttered before collapsing on the staircase in tears. It was unbearable, just knowing what she lost. For years, Ginerva Weasley and all those close to her tortured him. And, just when she was capable of letting her guard down, allowing herself to love the most arrogant git in the world, he died. Draco Malfoy was dead, and Ginny Weasley could do nothing but mourn him. As tears cascaded from her eyes, with no signs of stopping, Ginny realized something. "Never again. I can never love again, not if this can happen."

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Author's Note: Leave a review.**


	3. Heart of Ice

**Chapter 3: Heart of Ice**

_"Mother, please tell me that didn't happen," Buttercup stated. She blinked back tears upon hearing that. Her hopes were dashed at seeing Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley live happily ever after. They seemed so perfect for each. Yet, with Draco dead, it was clear that Ginerva Weasley had lost that which she cared about most, something that could never be returned to no matter how much she wished it to be so. Buttercup wanted to hear this story end with them together, but it was not possible; it could never be possible._

_The elder woman hung her head. "I can't do that, Buttercup; this is part of the story, and there's no way for me to change that. Now, there's more to this story, more than you will ever know."_

_Buttercup's eyes lit up. She thought the story over with what just happened. The boy Ginny loved was gone, and she promised herself never to love again. What else could possible happen though; what more to the story was there? "Mum, how much longer is this tale?"_

_"This is just the beginning of the story," her mother explained. _

_"The beginning!" she exclaimed. _

_"See, this is exactly why I never wished to tell you this story, at least until you were older," her mother stated. "But, your father insisted. Against my wishes, this story is told. I can see it in your eyes that this story is upsetting you. Buttercup, I can no longer tell you this story."_

_"No!" Buttercup yelled, in a tone that reminded her of the one her father used on her when she did something stupid. "Tell me the story. I want to hear what else life can throw at such a broken-hearted girl."_

_Her mother nodded. "If you—and your father—insist…"_

Never again wishing to fall in love, Ginny Weasley kept to herself. Only Luna Lovegood was allowed to near her, for she wanted to be alone. Since her first year, the one constant Ginny could always rely on was Draco Malfoy. Now that wasn't even possible. Even worse, she loved him. That made things even more difficult for her. Despite her sorrows, her final year passed by. She went through the motions, not really caring. To a certain extent, flying didn't even help her. It may have been able to relieve some of the stress she had been feeling, but never would she forget her feelings for one Draco Malfoy. Since learning of his death a year before, a hole emerged in her heart; only one person could ever heal the hole in her heart, and he was dead. The man she loved was dead, and she could never forgive herself for that.

In attempting to prove to Draco that he needed to take what he wanted in life—not caring what others thought—Ginerva Molly Weasley caused Draco's demise. He never would have given up his inheritance and gone out into the world, only to die, if not for her. His memory haunted Ginny, and she knew that her heart was of ice. She built up a tough exterior so as to enough that she was not hurt again; her feelings for the man once known as the Slytherin Prince betrayed her, and was forced to mourn that she which loved so dearly.

As much as she blamed herself for all that happened to Draco, Ginny blamed Lord Voldemort to an even greater degree than herself. Draco's father was a Death Eater, his right hand man. Draco's love for her, and willingness to give up all that he was to inherit, seemed to displease Voldemort, and his father. Unless they were able to provide Voldemort with useful information to his cause, all hostages were killed. Ginny was sure that this was Draco's fate; he had no useful information for Voldemort, meaning death was the only option. He angered Voldemort with what he did, and Ginny had to pay for all that happened. For Lucius Malfoy's arrogance and unwillingness to accept what his son did with his life, Ginny lost that which she loved more than anything. Draco paid for his choice with his life, and Ginny was forced to suffer the consequences of such a terrible fate.

Even four years after her graduation from Hogwarts, Ginny could not bring herself to fully get over Draco's absence from her life. The only thing that ever seemed to keep Ginny from sulking over her lost love was flying. Her place as the Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies helped with that task. There was only one problem with her plan: she attracted the attention of one Cedric Diggory. It was attention that she could not shake, for he intended on claiming what he wanted so much; his position as Seeker was clearly evidence of that.

For the most part, it was easy to evade Cedric's advances. But, as time wore on, the Diggory boy found other ways of approaching her, including the fact that Arthur Weasley and Amos Diggory worked at the Ministry together; albeit, it was in differing departments, however, Cedric found a way he might worm himself into Ginny's life even more than he already was. Work, home, it was as if the boy wouldn't take no for an answer. And, Ginny hated her teammate for it. When all she wanted was to be alone with her feelings, Cedric refused to leave her alone. He was like the cat to her mouse, the shark to her fish.

Ginny recalled the boy from her first few years in Hogwarts. Cedric Diggory always seemed to be this humble guy, someone everyone got along with. Considering he was a Hufflepuff, and a good four years ahead of her, Ginny doubted if he even remembered seeing her around Hogwarts. Not to mention the fact that Cedric was also Draco's predecessor as the hottest guy in school. Much like Draco, Cedric was the most sought after guy. Every girl wanted to date him. Even now, as a star Seeker, every girl wanted to date him. Too bad Ginny wasn't one of them. Yet, Cedric Diggory was oblivious to Ginny's disdain for the man, not understanding how she felt about all that was going on in her life.

It was one day in late spring that Cedric approached Ginny regarding the reason she rebuked his offers. "Why, Ginny?" he asked. "Why do you reject all offers to come on a date with me?"

"Because I can't," Ginny announced quite bluntly.

Cedric's eyes narrowed. "I realize that. But, I want to know if there is any particular reason you wish to be so alone, so cold towards men who clearly feel attracted to you," he explained.

Tears began forming in the corners of Ginny's eyes. It happened every time Ginny thought of Draco. "My heart belongs to another," she muttered quietly. Flicking across her eyes as she blinked back tears were memories, fond memories of her and Draco, and their time spent together. She even remembered all the bad times, when he would make fun of her, Ron, Harry, and Hermione. If not for the bad times, Ginny—or Draco—might never have realized how much they cared for each other. These memories were all Ginny had left of the man she gave her heart to. And, she was not about to give them up to love another.

"Where is this _other_?" Cedric inquired.

"Dead," she cried.

"For how long?" he asked.

"Five years," Ginny replied.

Cedric gasped, pulling Ginny into a hug as he did. "You've been in mourning for five years, never once venturing out to get over his death. How could you be this depressed over a guy?"

"True love," she whimpered softly. "He's the ice to my fire. We're polar opposites; but, since opposites attract, it works out quite well. For five long years, he's hated me, but deep down inside, the boy has always loved me. And, even though he's dead, I will never bring myself to love again."

"How can you even say something like that?" he asked. "No one can ever truly stay alone forever. Everyone needs some companionship at some point in their lives. You may have a large family, but it's not going to help you in the long run. Yes, you will always love this guy, but you must allow yourself to love another; you must allow yourself to love again."

"And, you think you're capable of such a thing, bring my heart back to life?" she shot back, pulling away from the Diggory boy. Ginny could not do this. Her heart was a block of ice, and Cedric would never be able to warm her heart; no one could ever do that after what happened.

"Of course I can," Cedric insisted.

"Doubt it," Ginny murmured.

Cedric grinned. "I can prove it to you, Ginny. Go out on a date with me this weekend, and I'll prove to you that I can be the one to heal your heart from your insurmountable loss."

Though she knew it was never going to work, Ginny decided to humor the man. It wouldn't hurt to do that. "Fine," she said. "But, it will only prove my point: that I am incapable of getting over him."

With that one act, Ginny put in motion something that she could not worm her way out of, at least not on her own. All Ginny could do was sit and watch it happen around her. The pity date Ginny went on with Cedric turned into several. Mid-July brought about an event Ginny wished she could forget, one she wished she could take away. But, she couldn't. When Cedric Diggory proposed at the Quidditch World Cup after catching the Snitch, Ginerva Weasley could not deny his request, not in front of millions of people. She did not love him, and never would. Incapable of love since Draco's death, Ginny wondered why Cedric would ever want to marry her. He knew what was going, yet still he did this.

"Exactly what do you think you're doing?" Ginny screamed at him after the match. She pulled Cedric aside, to avoid people seeing this. It was not something Ginny wanted spectators of the match to see immediately following the match. "I thought I told you that I cannot love again. Any marriage between us would be loveless, and you don't deserve that."

He smirked in a way that reminded Ginny of the famous smirk Draco always gave. She blinked back tears as she was reminded of the Malfoy's signature expression, something she would not soon forget. Not only that, but she needed to keep Cedric from seeing this. "I told you, Ginny, that I would convince you that you _can_ love again. By the time we marry in two months, I shall make you see that you and I are meant to be together; I just know it."

"Two months!" Ginny screamed, attracting the attention of onlookers. But, Ginny didn't care; she was too pissed to care that they were being watched. All she cared about was finding a way out of this. Though most would disagree with her, marrying Cedric would be a mistake. If she did not love him, there was no way she could marry him, not in a million years.

Cedric nodded. "So, be prepared."

Ginny grunted, and turned on her heel, storming off to the locker room. She felt nothing for Cedric, and knew that. Draco Malfoy was in possession of her heart. Her heart was of ice, like Draco's eyes and personality. Until he returned—which would never occur—her heart was constructed of ice.

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**Author's Note: Here is the reason I brought Cedric back from the dead. He's put in the same role Harry had in Order of the Phoenix; comforting the girl who lost the love of her life. I suppose that's kind of ironic since Cedric was the dead love in that instance. Oh well. Leave a review.**


	4. Three Men

**Chapter 4: Three Men**

In the month since Cedric's impromptu proposal at the Quidditch World Cup, Ginny could not free herself of this engagement she so clearly didn't want. Her parents and brothers were ecstatic for Ginny, and Cedric's parents were equally pleased with their son's choice for a wife. Only Ginny had issue with the plans being set, and her opinion was vastly overlooked in favor of everyone else's. Since the engagement was announced, disgust was the only emotion Ginny felt. No one seemed to care that she did not want this, even though she accepted Cedric's proposal. Her opinion of all of this didn't seem to matter anymore, especially to Ron. Considering the rivalry between Ron and Draco, he was the one most for the marriage. Anything that could get his younger sister to stop mourning Draco's death, something Ron thought he probably deserved; that was Ron's objective.

No matter what Cedric told her, Ginny could not bring herself to love him. She was incapable of love anymore. Love was a myth. If love truly existed, she would not have lost Draco. She sighed. If someone told her twelve years ago that she would fall in love with Draco Malfoy and give up on love because of his death, Ginny would have told them how crazy they were. Ginny hated this, hated that all of this even occurred to begin with.

When realization hit that she could no longer make her opinion known in respect to the engagement and impending wedding, Ginny grabbed her broom and flew off, escaping her problems. This was all she could do to escape what she despised about her life right now. The feeling of the wind whipping through her hair; flying was the only pastime she could really enjoy, and helped her to recall her fondest memories of her time at Hogwarts. In particular, Ginny recalled the day Moody transfigured Draco into a ferret. Draco's transformation into a ferret was the funniest thing to occur all year, and Ginny didn't want to forget it.

As she soared above the clouds, Ginny saw something brush past her, just grazing her robe. Squinting to get a better look, she spotted a Bludger. _What's a Bludger doing here? _Ginny wondered. _I thought they were only released during the Quidditch matches._ Diving in a downward spiral, Ginny just barely dodged a second Bludger. It was clear that something, or someone was after her, but she didn't know what. Who could possibly want to come after her? Ginny spent a good five minutes getting chased by this rogue Bludger before shifting her broom to the west and dove down into a soft clearing. It was not clear as to the reason, but it was as if someone wanted her dead, pushed out of existence.

"What the hell is going on?" she yelled, tumbling down into the clearing.

"You shall soon see," a cool voice said from behind her.

Ginny spun around and saw three men standing towering over her. Two of the men were dark-haired while the third had golden blond hair. "And, who exactly are you three?" she demanded.

"That is not your concern," the man with golden blond hair stated.

Ginny's temper flared. These men were disturbing her; of course it mattered, their reason for coming to this spot. She only wished to be alone, yet here these men were disturbing the peace she sought out in such desperation. "Tell me what I want to know!" she screamed.

Both dark-haired men remained silent; Ginny sensed that the blond was clearly the leader, the brains behind whatever was occurring here. A confirmation of her assumption soon came, in the form of his response. "Do _not_ stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" he insisted.

"When you're bothering me it does matter!" Ginny warned.

A motion was made to the larger of the two dark-haired men, and Ginny felt an unusual sensation take hold of her body. She felt paralyzed; it felt like a body-bind, or something close to it. All Ginny could do was watch the events unfold around her. "Zabini! Krum!" the blond ordered. "Get the girl and we'll be off; we have orders to follow, and I am not about to blow it."

Ginny's mind was racing. _Krum? Zabini? _Those were two names she recognized. Viktor Krum was one of the champions of the Tri-Wizard Tournament—and briefly dated Hermione—; Blaise Zabini was a friend—_sort of_—to Draco. But, from the look of him, Ginny could see that there was something very off with Zabini. He seemed different from the person Ginny recalled as being Draco's friend half a decade ago. Zabini's eyes were glazed over, as if looking at Ginny brought back some painful memories that he buried inside when Draco died. Blaise Zabini had the same effect on Ginny; seeing Zabini there reminded her of the times where Draco was actually nice to her, when she realized how much he cared.

Unfortunately, with the full body-bind in place, Ginny could not speak; all she could do was watch as Zabini, Krum, and this golden blond-haired man conversed. The talk was not much to even be repeated, if Ginny could ever get out of here: Krum grunting, Zabini's quiet nods, and the blond's incessant ramblings—which Ginny could barely follow. _What's going on here?_ Ginny wondered, her deep brown eyes focused intently on the exchange before her.

"Grab her and let's go!" the blond yelled.

When the blond gave that order, Zabini came forward and picked up Ginny's broom. "Sorry Weasley," he strained to say, putting her broom under his arm. Krum then came over and picked up Ginny's stiffened body, taking her to the broom he rode to get here and mounting it.

From what she could tell—Zabini's strained apology in the back of her mind—it was glaringly obvious as to what she was faced with. Zabini was obviously under the Imperius Curse. Someone would dare to use an Unforgivable to force him to do this, for Blaise Zabini clearly would never harm his friend's girlfriend. Even if he didn't like it, Zabini respected that it was Draco's choice. Ginny could only imagine what might have happened to Zabini these past five years to make him so susceptible to the Imperius Curse. He didn't seem like the type of person who would deal with this, even if he was resisting it.

And, Krum; what was the deal with him? If Ginny could send an owl to Hermione, she could find out. Surely, Hermione and Krum still spoke. If so, Hermione might know the reason for the Bulgarian Quidditch star's perceptively uncharacteristic behavior. Something was going on in the scene that played out before Ginny, and it needed to be explained.

Regarding the blond, Ginny could not be sure of anything—save one thing: he was kidnapping her!

* * *

**Author's Note: Krum? Zabini? A mysterious blond? Then, there's that pesky kidnapping. All this after dealing with an engagement she doesn't want and lost love she can't forget. What more will life throw at Ginny? Leave a review.**


	5. Damsel in Distress

**Chapter 5: Damsel-in-Distress**

Though unsure of numerous things occurring around her at the moment, Ginny could be certain that it was this blond's intention to kidnap her. Nothing in his attitude, or what he said only a few minutes earlier, could tell her the reason for it though. As the Bulgarian who had a hold on her flew off, Ginny strained to listen for any semblance of a plan getting muttered; the fierce gusts of wind kept her from uncovering the plot the blond concocted to steal her away from what she hated the most, from the wedding she wanted nothing to do with.

Kidnapping her was not the answer. As much as she wanted out of this wedding, this was not the answer. If anything, Cedric would come after her in a rescue mission, trying to profess his undying love for her by sweeping Ginny off her feet and away from the scoundrels who threatened to tear the two _lovebirds_ apart. Ginny gagged at the thought, just wishing that she could go back in time to the day Malfoy intended to leave her, begging him to stay. If this were possible, she wouldn't have Cedric on her case all the time.

Ginny wished she could get out of this. Zabini, if not for being under the influence of the Imperius Curse, would probably help her escape. However, this was not the case, and she knew it. _What am I to do_? she wondered. _How am I to find my way out of this and return to my life?_ As much as she hated Cedric, Ginny had to admit she preferred it to her current state. For her to be separated from someone who cared, more than life itself, about her—not that those needed to be reciprocated—it tortured Ginny, inside _and_ out. And, it could only intensify the longer this went on; even if Zabini and Krum were here. With the blond calling the shots around here, the Bulgarian and Zabini were incapable of aiding in her escape.

The gusts of wind Ginny grew accustomed to as her body sat uncomfortable on Krum's broom soon subsided when the trio landed in front of decent-sized boat. The brooms got tossed aside and Ginny's still paralyzed body was placed at the side of the boat. Ginny's gaze traveled to the edge of the boat. If only she could free herself of this accursed spell, Ginny could topple over the side of the boat and swim away to safety; but, she was without wand at the moment, having left it at home. She had not needed it for a simple broom ride; now she did though, and she cursed herself for not thinking of this as a possibility. She could do little wandless magic; for the moment, she was completely and utterly helpless, nothing more than a damsel-in-distress. For the blond, this was exactly what he wanted out of this; and Ginny could do nothing to keep this from happening to her.

Krum and Zabini soon climbed in the boat, followed by the blond. The boat swayed in the water as the weight increased. Ginny only wished that the boat would topple over, so that she might escape. _On second thought_, she muttered to herself, _that might not work. I'm still under the effects of this accursed spell. I'd only sink if I tried something as stupid as that._

As dusk set in around the boat, Ginny finally felt the body-bind spell begin to wear off; her chance to escape and return home had finally come. But, now that she had the chance to leave, how was she to do this without the blond becoming aware of her plan. She glanced over at Zabini; he was the only one who could understand. Ginny noticed his gaze flicker over to the back of the boat. The Ginny noticed what his gaze was on: the shadowed boat following them. Then, for the first time all night, Zabini spoke to the blond. It was the first time she heard that voice in five years, since Draco died. "I think there's someone following us."

The blond jumped to his feet. "Following us? Inconceivable!"

_Inconceivable my ass!_ Ginny thought. _There's a boat back there; I can see it. Blaise knows it's there. Is it a phantom ship? _Ginny silently laughed at the thought. Such a thing surely wasn't possible. _Well, I guess it's about time for my plan to be set in motion; Blaise gave me the opportunity. Now, all I must do is take it. _With that last thought, Ginny toppled over the boat, getting ready to swim back to shore, back to where her broom was.

Ginny only got a few feet from the boat before the blond spotted her. "Trying to escape, huh? You will not get far," he laughed. "You are familiar with the creatures in the Black Lake at Hogwarts, are you not?" Ginny nodded. "Well, these creatures are ten times worse, and there is no way for you to escape. Swim back now, and we can ensure you are not harmed."

"I doubt that," Ginny murmured.

The waves crashed over her and Ginny could barely keep herself afloat. She felt a tug on her leg and knew that she was about to get pulled underwater. Something wrapped around her and started pulling her down. Ginny braced herself for her submersion, but was shocked when a hand grabbed hold of her. Looking up, Ginny saw Blaise Zabini leaning over the boat. "If he were alive," he strained to say, "Draco would kill me for letting anything happen to you. Even in death, he'll always love you. If I can break this, I'll help in any way that I can. For now though, you are on you own; I cannot yet help you with this."

Ginny nodded as she was pulled up from the water and a towel was wrapped around her as she was set back in the boat. _He's trying to fight the Imperius Curse to help me. _Clearly Zabini's intolerance of Ginny's relationship with Draco subsided over the years, and he came to accept it, years after his friend's death. The fact that Ginny and everyone in her family were _blood-traitors_ didn't seem to matter anymore. She averted her gaze to the back of the boat; the phantom boat was still there, still following them. _Who is on that boat? Who is so intent on following us out here? _No one knew where she was, so it could not be for her. Ginny's heart sank when she realized this; it seemed as if only Blaise could help her escape this, and even that was on a limited basis since he struggled to break the Imperius curse he was under.

"Try as you might, you will not escape," the blond intoned, cackling manically.

"I will," Ginny replied defiantly. Not only was Zabini attempting to help her escape, but Ginny knew perfectly well that Cedric would surely come after her once he discovered her fate. _I just hope that I am found soon. It would not do well for me to be stuck here so long._

The following hours dragged on. Ginny could see no end to the water, and it disheartened her. How was she to escape if not in the air or solid ground? She could hardly swim away after her earlier display; the blond would be expecting it. And, her broom was on dry land, meaning flying was out of the question…unless she could get her wand or summon her broom using the little wandless magic she was capable of. As bothered by this as she was, Ginny had Zabini to rely on, at least when he was capable of fighting the Imperius. Dating Draco, for however short a time it was, had its benefits, namely his friends protecting her. But, with an Unforgivable in place, that protection could only go so far to help her. How else was she to protect herself and ensure that she came out of this unscathed?

_A distant wailing could be heard, forcing the woman to abruptly stop telling her daughter the story. "Buttercup, I must go attend to Westley. Your little brother seems to not want to fall asleep," she muttered._

_Buttercup nodded, knowing that it was true. The boy had inherited some very big lungs, and Buttercup knew that it would be awhile until Westley calmed down. Despite her anticipation to hear the rest of the story, this break gave Buttercup to run the events of the story thus far. _

_From the sound of it, Ginny still had a small piece of the boy she loved so much with her. Blaise Zabini was there—although under the effects of an Unforgivable—and made an attempt to help her because of her prior relationship with the Slytherin Prince. It seemed as if Draco's memory protected Ginny. Buttercup sighed and wondered if this would be enough to save Ginny from the blond who held her—and Blaise—captive. They _needed_ to be okay, or else hearing this story would have been completely pointless. She wanted to know what happened._

_To her utter delight, Buttercup glanced up from staring at her comforter to see her mother comes strolling into the room, a small smile on her face. "Your _father_ has Westley. He wants me to finish telling you this story." She chuckled. "Clearly, that man knows me all too well, for he knew I would use Westley as an excuse to get of telling you this story. Now, where was I…?_

A soft pinkish glow could be seen over the horizon as the boat continued its course, gliding peaceably through the water. It was daybreak and the sun was just coming into view. Ginny grumbled something inaudible to others' ears, running her fingers over the water. She was so close, yet she had no way to escape. While Ginny ran her hand over the water, wishing that she could escape, the boat came to an abrupt halt. Looking up, Ginny saw a huge cliff in front of her. _What the…? Okay, could someone please explain to me why we've sailed to an enormous cliff?_

She knew something to be very wrong here. But, what was it? What was the purpose of sailing out to this cliff? There was no reason for it, at least none that Ginny could see. Precisely what was it that the blond had in mind?

For the second time, Blaise addressed this mysterious blond who held Ginny captive. "I am sure that there is someone following us," he announced. "Look back and you will see the ship."

Both the blond and Ginny looked back, only to see that Blaise was right. Ginny had already known this—after the exchange from the previous night—but the blond did not. He didn't believe that Blaise had seen anyone coming after them. "Inconceivable!" the blond shouted. "What is _he_ doing here? No one should have been able to follow us. No one knows what we have done."

"And, vhat have ve done?" Viktor asked.

Ginny wondered this as well, for she was too panicked last night to find out what was going on. And, asking would only anger the blond further, something Ginny was not willing to do.

The blond growled. "Were you not paying attention the last time I mentioned this, you bumbling fool? I told you I would not repeat it. There is no telling as to who might be listening, who might hear of the plan. So, listen closely for I will not repeat it a third time."

Krum nodded. "I vill listen."

"Good," the blond grumbled. "We are doing this on behalf of a dark wizard, someone with a grudge against the girl's fiancé. This is being done to get back at the Diggory boy for something he did."

Ginny could only stare in wonder at what the blond said. She could think of nothing Cedric had done that could anger whoever it was that the blond worked for. Even during the Tri-Wizard Tournament that occurred in her third year, there was nothing. Well, unless you counted nearly destroying any chances of Voldemort plunging the world into darkness. From the story she heard from Harry about the events in the maze, Cedric nearly made it to the cup, but a split-second decision from Harry kept Cedric from touching the Tri-Wizard Cup and getting sucked into the Portkey. Ginny never heard the exact details of the maze, only that something happened in there that neither Cedric nor Harry would speak of. Krum might know, but she doubted it since Harry told them of Viktor being under the Imperius Curse for a good chunk of time while they were in the maze.

Whatever happened in that maze nine years ago caused all of this to happen. If she could get out of here, maybe Ginny could ask Harry. But, until then, Ginny was stuck in the clutches of this blond monster.

* * *

**Author's Note: Leave a review.**


	6. The Man in Black

**Chapter 6: The Man in Black**

Once the boat was tied off, it was Krum who hauled Ginny off the boat. "I can walk on _my_ own, you oaf," Ginny exclaimed, pulling her arm out of his grip. She glared at the blond as she walked past.

The blond—who still remained nameless—snarled and pointed his wand at Ginny. "You would do well to listen to us. You are in no position to be giving orders; you have no broom with you and no clue where you are. For all you know, we intend on leaving you out here in the wilderness to die. _We_ are your only chance of survival, for without your wand you're defenseless."

Ginny truly did not care that she had enraged the blond. She wasn't scared of him; there was a reason she was in Gryffindor. Cowardice was not in her blood, nor would she ever be. Besides, even if he was under the Imperius Curse, Ginny still had Blaise to rely on. If only for a few moments, Blaise could help her. "I could survive _without_ you," she warned. _Growing up with six older brothers really does have its advantages. I had to find a way to defend myself somehow._

"Can ve just get on vith this?" Krum grumbled.

"Indeed," the blond mused. The quartet moved closer to the cliffs and he began speaking again. "Krum, take hold of the girl again. We're going to deal with this now, _before_ anything can happen."

"And, what about the other ship?" Blaise inquired.

The blond chuckled, his eyes scanning the waters. "Even if the occupants of that ship know that we have the girl with us, there is no possible way for them to come after us as you suspect they will. It's utterly impossible for them to do so. Stop your worrying, Zabini. No one will find out what we've done. And, no one ever will. They have no idea what's going on, why any of this is happening. Now, shut up, Zabini, and follow orders like you're supposed to."

Blaise grimaced, peering over at Ginny. Though his eyes were glazed over from the Imperius Curse, Ginny could see a glimmer of emotion shine through, one that seeing would not help her. As Krum took hold of her once again, Ginny knew that there was a very slim chance of someone coming to help her. Whoever was on the ship Ginny saw out on the waters probably had no clue as to what was happening here. She was losing hope of escaping. That was her last thought as the quartet—or rather Krum—climbed the cliffs.

***

A black ship drifted along the water. Its captain stood at bow of the boat, dressed completely in black, watching the waters carefully as they looked for a place to dock. While doing this, the captain's gaze soon fell upon a group of people. This group of four was climbing up the cliffs, for whatever reason. The captain—being gifted in the art of Legilemency—decided to poke in through their minds. _Maybe I can find out why they're at the cliffs_, he mused.

Searching through the groups' minds was easy-pickings; they were weak-minded. None of them were skilled Occulemens. The first two minds were not much help. It was the third mind he encountered that proved to be more useful in understanding why they were at the cliffs. One of the memories in this third mind caught his eye. After seeing this particular memory, the man in black knew that he had only one option: stop them. Once they docked the boat, he would go after this group and see to it that their plan did not succeed.

Five minutes later, the boat had docked and the man in black began chasing after this group. He would not let them get away with what they were doing…not when _that_ was _his _job.

***

Ginny was glad for the fact that there was only a few feet left until they reached the top of the cliffs. Maybe once they reached the top of the cliffs, she might be able to find a way of her current predicament. At the moment, there was no way for her to escape. But, once they got to the top, Ginny had a chance of escaping, maybe using whatever little wandless magic she could do.

"We're being followed," Blaise announced.

"What?" the blond shouted, the veins in his forehead becoming as red as a tomato. He shot a look at Blaise, enraged that the man would even bring up such a thing. "How is that even possible? No one should have realized that we were here." He turned to Krum. "Climb faster, you oaf. Should _he_ gain, it is _you_ I will blame. I will not have my plans ruined because of this insolent whelp coming after us. This plan _will _be brought to fruition, no matter what!"

_I hope not_, Ginny thought. _Whoever this is decided to come after me. I'd rather be rescued by him than stay here. _But, how much of a chance was there for that to happen? Could this mysterious man chasing them possibly save her from the clutches of this blond and his plan?

Blaise looked down ten minutes later. "He's gaining."

"Gaining!" the blond yelled. "How could he gain?"

Ginny hid a grin. This mysterious man really was coming after her and she couldn't be more thrilled. There was something truly sinister about this blond, something Ginny could not pinpoint. But, whatever it was, Ginny could not be around him; things would only get worse the more she was around. _Come on_, she thought. _Come get me. Make sure that this blond pays for what he's doing to me. _Ginny peered down at the guy climbing after her. _I hope this works._

***

As he climbed after the quartet, the man in black caught a glimpse of shocking red hair flapping in the wind. _That is who I think it is_, he realized. _Well, that means just one thing. I cannot make any mistakes; I have no choice but to get up there and see to it that this doesn't happen. _He clamored after the group—as fast as he could—to find out what was going on. It was slow, but steady progress, but at least he was going after them. There was something about this group, one in particular, that he didn't like. Going after them was the only thing he could do to appease his growing curiosity regarding the group's leader.

***

Twenty minutes dragged by until Ginny was hoisted up onto solid ground. She had no chance of escaping however; Krum and the blond had a tight grip on her. Ginny peered down the cliff, her brown eyes searching the cliffs for any sign of her possible rescuer. Against the brown cliffs, spotting the man in black was sure to be a piece of cake. It did not take long for her to find the guy and Ginny managed a weak smile when she did. _He's coming!_ _He's coming to save me from this monster, whoever he is. He better get up here fast. I don't think I can stand being around these monsters for any longer than I have_, she thought.

Ginny had to suffer through five more minutes of climbing before Krum reached the top of the cliffs. The blond was lifted up first, pulling Ginny along with him. "You have _no _chance of escape. I _will_ have my revenge!" he exclaimed as Blaise and Viktor clamored up the cliffs and joined their leader and the hostage. "Krum, you are coming with me and the girl; Zabini, stay here and make sure that our guest is treated with a _proper_ welcome. Destroy him! I will have _nothing _prevent me from achieving my goal. I want him _gone_! Eliminate him!"

"No!" Ginny yelled. If Blaise was ordered to kill the man in black, any chance she had at escaping her current fate would be dashed. She couldn't allow that to happen, not now and not ever!

The blond spun around to face Ginny. "I would keep quiet if I were you. You are in no position to do anything to stop any of this." He turned back to Blaise. "You _will _kill him. Use an Unforgiveable if you have to. Come follow when you've eliminated our shadow," he explained.

As Ginny was dragged away, she saw a flicker of hope. The Imperius was lifted and his eyes were no longer glazed over. _Yes_, Ginny thought. _If I can keep this blond occupied, he won't have time to recast the Imperius Curse, Blaise can help me escape this monster and I can go home._

***

Before the man in black could reach them, the group he was following made it to the top of the cliffs. He wasn't very far behind, so there was a chance for him to catch. His chance was slim though; climbing this cliff was a daunting task and he could not be sure as to how long it would take to reach the top. _Whatever they're up to, they won't get away with it. I'm the only one allowed to do such a thing. _He peered up and noticed a dark-haired man looking down at him. "What do you want?" he drawled, figuring that this was one of the men in the group he was tracking.

"Just waiting for you," the other replied.

"Why?"

"To kill you."

Most would be rattled by the news that they were about to be killed. Such news was nothing new to the man in black. He took it in stride and continued climbing to what would surely be his impending doom. Death was not really much a threat for him; it could do nothing. The man in black had faced much worse than this stranger could ever threaten.

He arrived at the top only to start losing grip of the cliffs. _No!_ he thought. _I have made it this far. It cannot be for naught. I'm not about to let _that_ monster do what has always been considered my job. No! He will pay for messing in _my_ territory. _Just as he was fully about to lose grip of the cliffs, a rope was thrown down. The man in black peered up, only to see the same dark-haired man from before smiling down at him, the rope having emerged from _his_ wand. "What is _this_?" he queried, eyeing the other man suspiciously. The fact that this man only intended on killing him made the man in black wary of the other's intent. He could not be sure of anything at the moment. Something could happen at any time.

"I thought you might want to get up here faster," he explained.

"You only intend on killing me," the man in black reminded him. "How can I trust you help me to the top?"

The stranger rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, right? I nearly forgot" he remembered. "How about this? I give you my word as an Italian; you _will_ reach the top of these cliffs alive."

"Not going to work," the man in black insisted.

There was an eerily disturbing silence surrounding the area as the man hovering over him came up with a plausible reason to help him. However, the man in black was sure of the fact that this strange man could not come up with a reason to accept his help up the cliff. "I swear on my father—Enrico Zabini's—soul, you will survive this climb," he explained.

Rather than answering him, the man in black grabbed the rope and began climbing. He had no doubt that he would indeed reach the top. _Zabini_? _I know that name._ _It's a name I can trust. Why then, would he want to kill me? That makes no sense. Zabini has always been loyal to me_. If he had the time, the man in black would query Zabini about that. Maybe he could get a sense of why the Zabini family was reduced to doing something like this.

The man in black reached the top and pulled himself up the cliff. A hand was extended and he took it, helping the man in black up. "Thank you, Zabini," he replied. "I appreciate it."

"No problem," Zabini grinned. The man in black pulled his wand out, but Zabini held a hand up. "No, no. We'll wait until you've rested up. I want this to be a fair fight and that will only work if you rest."

"Again, thank you," the man in black replied.

"You're welcome," Zabini said.

The man in black sat against the cliffs twirling his wand—which he had yet to put away—between his black gloved fingers. He ran his fingers over the dark wood and looked at Zabini, who seemed to be eyeing him quite warily. "Do you have a problem?" he asked.

Zabini rubbed the back of his neck rather nervously, a nervous tick that the man in black recalled that Zabini never seemed to have lost when he first came across him as a young boy. "I was just wondering something." The man in black looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer, wondering what Zabini wished off him. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but you don't happen to have six fingers on your left hand, do you?" he inquired.

"I do _not_. Why do you ask?" the man in black queried.

Once again did Zabini begin rubbing the back of his neck, almost absentmindedly this time. "Ah. Well, you see, I lost my father thanks to the six fingered man. It happened just before I entered Hogwarts. My father, you see, was a talented wand maker, not unlike that of Ollivander. A few weeks before I went off to Hogwarts, the six-fingered man approached my father requesting that he be made a special wand; one unlike anything any witch or wizard has ever seen. I believe the six-fingered man compared it to something called the Elder Wand—the fabled wand in Beedle the Bard's Tale of Three Brothers—wanting something similar to that.

"My father did what was asked of him and it was not long before the six-fingered man came to collect. However, he refused to pay my father's asking price and, as much, killed my father on the spot, making it look like an accident. I doubt he expected my witnessing what he did, thinking that I was out with my mother shopping for school supplies. He was very wrong and I attempted to avenge my father, despite the lack dueling skills. Not that it needs to be said, but I failed. As you can see, he let me live. But, not without giving me a lasting reminder of my failed attempt at avenging my father." Zabini pointed to a scar by his hairline, hidden slightly by his hair. He then pulled out a wand from his person and handed it to the man in black. "The wand my father created. Ebony and Basilisk fang. Ten and a half inches."

Removing it from Zabini's hand, the man in black carefully examined the wand in question. Just as Zabini told him, this wand was truly a unique piece of work. The wand was—as the wood's name suggested—black in color; the handle carved with flecks of ivory ingrained in the wood. At the base of the wand was a carving of a snake, the mark of a Slytherin. "I've never seen anything like it," the man in black admitted, handing it back to Zabini.

Taking the wand back, Zabini nodded. "Yes. I plan on using it to take revenge against the six-fingered man for destroying my family. Since leaving Hogwarts five years ago, I have spent my time looking for the six-fingered man, hoping that I might inadvertently come across him without him ever realizing it." The man in black nodded, knowing what he meant. Sometimes, surprise worked in catching people off-guard; it would certainly do well here in Zabini's case. "Problem is," Zabini continued, "I cannot find heads or tails of the six-fingered man."

"I see," the man in black replied. "What have you been doing while you wait?" Zabini did not seem like the type of person to follow orders like kidnapping someone. That couldn't have been what he was doing, not in the very least. Something must have happened to cause that to occur. "Surely, you can't just have been sitting around doing nothing. Your mother would never allow _that_. You _must_ have been doing something then."

"Ah. Well, _that's_ where things get complicated. Normally, I'm working as an Auror. It's the only possible way for me to seek out my revenge on the bastard that killed my father. I was doing exactly that when one of the dark wizards I was going after put me under the Imperius Curse. He's trying to use me to justify going after a red-head by the name of Ginerva (Ginny) Weasley in order to take revenge on her fiancé, Cedric Diggory. I've been fighting the curse though, trying to help her instead. Years ago, when I was in Hogwarts, Ginny Weasley was dating my best friend; no one—myself included—was really fond of that. I accepted it though—not like her older brother, Ron, who would do anything to break them up—and went on with my life. Well, my best friend was killed shortly afterwards and I vowed to keep her safe; and, I've kept true to my word. Even when under the Imperius Curse, I've broken though in order to help her," Zabini explained.

_So Zabini helped her_, the man in black thought. _Well, it's nice to know I can count on someone to help me with this. No one else I know would ever do something like that. That just proves where Zabini's loyalties lie. Now I must take over, however. It's time the job was done right. _ As much as the man in black appreciated Zabini's help in this matter, some costly mistakes were made in the process of this rescue mission. The time had come for everyone else to step aside and allow the man in black to take over the rescue mission that was being attempted. "So you've been trying to help her escape then," the man in black noted. "Well, you've done a bang up job so far. I think it's about time that you step aside. You may only hinder the rescue mission even further. Being under the Imperius Curse once already may make you susceptible to it again. Ginny cannot take that chance."

When this was mentioned, Zabini stood up suddenly and pointed the ebony wand he held so dear directly at the man in black. "The only way you can go after them is if you duel me," Zabini explained. "I cannot be sure if you will protect her. No one can be trusted, not in this capacity. I cannot trust anyone else with this; how do I know that I can trust you?"

The man in black pointed his wand at Zabini. "Fine. Let's begin."

* * *

**Author's Note: Leave a review.**


	7. Give Me A Challenge

**Chapter 7: Give Me a Challenge**

The man in black knew perfectly well that he was sure to win in a wizard's duel against Zabini. He knew exactly how the man fought and _that_ was the advantage the man in black needed to defeat him and go after the rest of the group he was tracking. Plus, the best part about the man in black's plan was that Zabini would never know how he was aware of Zabini's fighting style; Zabini would be utterly clueless as to how he was defeated so easily. He pointed his wand—hawthorn and unicorn hair, ten inches—at Zabini and prepared to fight him. _I'm on my way, Ginny. After I beat Zabini, I'll come after you. You've already suffered long enough; I won't let it continue. You'll be safe in no time. _

The man in black remained quiet for a moment, allowing Zabini to attack first. He knew what was coming. "_Furnunculus_!" Zabini called. If not for the man in black nonverbally deflecting his face would be covered in boils. "What! _That_ was supposed to work!" Zabini yelled.

"I know the counter-curse," the man in black shrugged. _Incendio_, he thought. As he recalled, using nonverbal spells would make one's opponent confused and give the castor the advantage. That was exactly what the man in black was aiming for. This duel needed to end rather soon, so he could move on and go after Ginny. He chuckled when a burst of flames appeared on Zabini's robes.

"What!" Zabini screeched. "How'd _that_ happen? I didn't even hear you say a single word. No matter. I will deal with this." He pointed his wand at the offending area. "_Aguamenti_!"

"You know," the man in black taunted. "You really should have paid closer attention in school. Surely your teachers taught you something similar to what I just displayed." He recalled his own years of schooling, remembering it being taught in his sixth year. As he was reminiscing, a thought occurred to him. "_Serpentsortia_!" he called out verbally, thinking back to second year when he first used this particular spell in front of anyone. _Zabini might even remember it_, he thought. _He doesn't know yet, but seeing that might make him realize._

"Oh, a snake," Zabini noted. "Slytherin, I presume?"

"Was it that obvious?" he replied drolly.

Zabini shrugged. "Nice to come across a fellow Slytherin. Too bad I must kill you though. If I cannot be sure your loyalties, I must eliminate you. Goodbye then. _Avada-_" he started.

Before Zabini could utter the last part of the Killing Curse, the man in black did the only thing he could in an instance such as this. "_Stupefy_!" he yelled. Zabini dropped to the ground and the man in black walked over. "Zabini, old friend, thank you for trying to keep her safe. I'm afraid I must take over now. Maybe we will meet again, Blaise." With that, the man in black ran off, intent on following Ginny's trail and rescuing her from the fate she was to face.

***

Ginny struggled against her captors; Krum a good grip on her arm as they hurried farther along. They stopped for a moment and turned, looking off in the distance to see if Zabini did as he was ordered and was now following them. While Zabini was _trying_ to help her, Ginny could not be sure that the blond would not put him under the Imperius Curse again. She hoped that the man following them would be the one to come after them. Looking off in the distance, Ginny did see a figure. With the distance, however, she could not be sure of whom. She stood there a few moments before the figure got closer; he was wearing black. _Yes_! Ginny thought. _He's on his way. I hope Blaise is okay, but I'm glad that this guy is on his way. I can get out of here much faster if this guy is here and not Blaise. _

"Inconceivable!" the blond yelled.

"Vhat is the problem?" Krum asked.

The blond pointed. "Zabini failed. Here. Give me the girl." Ginny's body was passed from Krum to the blond. He pointed his wand at Ginny. She panicked, thinking that he would use the killing curse on her. Her nerves disappeared with the next word out of his mouth. "_Obscuro_!"

When Ginny's vision disappeared with the blindfold that appeared over her eyes, her heart rate increased, wondering what the blond would do to her. Now that the blond had her, there was really no telling as to what might happen. At least while Zabini—or even Krum—was around, Ginny would remain unharmed. Now she was not so sure. She clenched her fists, wishing for her wand; maybe then she could have used a Bat-Bogey Hex to attack the blond and escape. "How vill I deal vith this?" Ginny heard Krum ask the blond.

"I do not care!" the blond grumbled. "Just get rid of him." He grabbed hold of Ginny's arm and pulled her along. Ginny could only wonder where. She only hoped that the man in black would come after her.

***

Still on the trail of Ginny and the men who kidnapped her, the man in black could have sworn he saw bright red hair blowing in the wind up at the top of the mountain he was headed towards. As quick as he saw it, the sight disappeared just as quick. The man in black cursed and continued on his way. A figure appeared just as he was about to pass the mountain. Taking one brief look at him, the man in black recognized him as Viktor Krum, Bulgaria's Seeker. "Well, well, well, Viktor; I never thought I'd see you in on this kidnapping. Your kidnappee is friends with Hermione Granger. In doing this, you'll surely lose the friendship you've had with her since the Tri-Wizard Tournament eight years ago.

Krum waved it off. "Her-my-own-ninny does not matter."

"Really?" the man in black questioned. "When I last saw you, I recall hearing that you wanted to stay in touch with her. What happened?" During the Tri-Wizard Tournament, he recalled seeing the most unlikely of people come in the arm of the Bulgarian Seeker: bookworm Granger. He had many fan girls chasing after him, but chose to go with the one girl that wasn't fawning all over him. If he was so close to Granger, why would he kidnap her best friend?

"She is married," he replied.

"To whom?" the man in black questioned as he searched for a way to get Krum out of the way and go after Ginny. He really did not care about Krum and what he was talking about; he was simply making conversation to keep him from discovering his true purpose.

"Veasley," Krum snorted.

"So Granger's a Weasel now?" the man in black mused. He smirked. _Well, that should be worth taunting them over when I run across them again. But, one question remains. _"What does that have to do with anything though? Surely you _don't _really care about her?"

Krum nodded. "I vas in love vith her. She vas not."

The man in black chuckled. _When I see Granger, she and I need to have a little chat. Her sister-in-law is in danger because of a decision she made eight years ago, one that seemed innocuous at the time. Just another reason to despise her. Now, how to deal with Krum?_ He would have to get creative in how he handled this; Viktor Krum was at least twice his size. The man in black recalled only one thing the two had in common: their position in Quidditch. _Hmm? That just might work._ "Okay, Krum. Since I doubt you will let me pass, why don't we make this interesting? During my years in school, I was Seeker for my house team. I propose we release a snitch and, whoever catches it, will move on. The loser stays behind."

"Vhat make you so sure that you vill vin?" Krum asked.

The man in black grinned. "Because I won't give up until I get what I want." _Plus, there's always the added bonus of torturing Weasley when he discovers what transpired here. I will certainly enjoy that sight. _He summoned his broom to him and quickly mounted. "You coming, Krum?" the man in black taunted as his broom rose into the air and hovered over the Bulgarian.

A few seconds passed before the Bulgarian joined him in the air. "You haff no chance. I vill not let you vin. I shall not let you pass!" the Bulgarian roared. "Give up vhile you haff the chance."

Despite what Krum may have wanted, the man in black would not _willing_ give up; he had come too far. Giving up would only cause him to lose that which he loved most. And, he was like a dragon—in more ways than one—for he would protect his treasure to no end. _She_ was that treasure; the one thing he cared about most in the world. The man in black was not about to lose her; not this time. _I won't do it; I won't lose her again. Krum will not stand in my way of getting her back. Nothing will_. "Let's get on with this then, Krum. If you're so confident that you will win, I'll even give you a two minute head start," the man in black cajoled.

"Vhat makes you think that I vill believe you?" Krum inquired.

The man in black removed something from his pocket and wandlessly transfigured it into a snitch. It zoomed out of his hand and let it race off. "See?" he informed his opponent. "If I intended on breaking my word, I'd have already raced after it. So, go. I will join you in two minutes and prove to you that _I _am the better seeker; I am far more worthy of achieving my goal."

"Ve vill see about that," Krum countered as he chased after the snitch.

During the two minutes in which the man in black promised to remain where he was, he contemplated what he would do to the third member of the party that kidnapped Ginny Weasley. Considering that this person was the brains of the entire operation—Blaise would never do such a thing to him and Krum was far too incompetent to plot something like this; no it was the blond who did this—the man in black needed to do something to do him befitting the crime. And, he'd have to be clever about it since there was a strong chance that the Ministry of Magic might suspect him. His reputation was against him in this matter, a situation he very rarely found himself in. _I really must come up with something. Krum will be rid of in a matter of minutes and the blond will be my next target. _The two minutes he promised to wait elapsed and the man in black raced after Krum, knowing that he would succeed where the Bulgarian could not. _Now to deal with this._

Racing through the sky looking for the snitch reminded the man in black fondly of his days at school. During the six years in which this occurred, it was always a race between Gryffindor and Slytherin to see whose seeker was better. Rarely was it the man in black who succeeded. This was a different situation completely; here the man in black had a lot more riding on his victory, namely rescuing Ginny Weasley. He spotted a glint of gold and tore after it. Krum had not yet spotted the snitch and the man in black was thankful for that. If this were Hogwarts, his opponent would be right alongside him, trying to find the snitch.

_This will be easy_, the man in black mused. _Krum's an idiot. He won't get the snitch before me. _Once again, the man in black caught a glimpse of the snitch, this time more clearly. _It's right near Krum, the oaf. He hasn't been practicing, has he? This is just sad and pathetic if I've seen it right near Krum and he has yet to realize it. _He chased after the snitch and, as he did, spotted two figures below him. One was a blond-haired male, the other a fiery red-headed female. _Once I find the snitch, Ginny; then, we'll be reunited with each other. Just hold on 'til then. _The man in black continued chasing the snitch and came within four feet of it before Krum realized what was going on. _Damn it! Krum knows now_, the man in black realized. _I need to work fast, get this done before anything else transpires. _

And so, the race for the snitch began. The man in black had a head start, having already located the snitch. His problem was reaching it. _That_ was usually his problem; he was unable to reach the snitch in time. He was going to break that streak today. Under no circumstances was he willing to lose to Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian dunderhead. He'd lose Ginny if that turned out to be the case. "Any luck so far?" the man in black taunted Krum.

"Vhy? Haff you?" Krum countered from behind him.

"If I did, you would never find out," the man in black avowed. "If I were you, Krum, I'd continue searching for the snitch; there's no telling as to how long you might have before I win."

"How can you be so sure you vill vin?" Krum shot back.

"Krum, you may be older; you may have more experience than I, having played for Bulgaria, but I am confidant in my abilities as a seeker. And, I doubt that you've been practicing as of late since you've been so preoccupied with the fact that Granger is married," the man in black said. For once in his life, the man in black was thankful for Hermione Granger's existence. Her relationship in fourth year helped the man in black keep Krum occupied and _not_ searching for the snitch as he should have been. _I'm going to win_, the man in black chuckled as he closed in on his target. _Just a few more feet then this is all over. _

The man in black moved closer to the snitch and, after scooting towards the edge of his broom, leaned forward in an attempt to capture the win against Krum. His pale fingers slid around the golden ball and his fingers closed around it. "You're done, Krum. I win!" the man in black called as he landed on the ground and transfigured the snitch in his hand back into the galleon from his pocket.

"How?" Krum boomed when he landed. "How did you beat me?"

"I warned you," the man in black replied, his broom in hand. "I'm the better seeker." He pulled his wand out. "Now to make sure you don't follow me…_Stupefy!_" The man in black replaced his wand and mounted his broom again. _I'm on my way, Ginny. You will be saved. _

***

Two men landed on the cliffs just recently vacated by one Blaise Zabini. One was Cedric Diggory; the second being the owner of the Holyhead Harpies. As their brooms vanished from sight, Cedric began examining the cliffs looking for an explanation. He noticed that there were darkened patches of dirt in several places and knew what happened. "A wizard's duel," Cedric noted to his companion. "It does not seem to be a large duel, but duel nonetheless." He looked over at his companion. "That would have been interesting to watch. Both were well trained. It's rare that such well-trained duelists can be found in this day and age; the Ministry hasn't really allowed students to be trained so well for a number of years."

"And who won?" his companion asked.

Cedric examined the area before him. "I cannot be sure, but the loser ran off that way." He pointed off to the east. "And, the winner headed to the south, towards my nemesis!" he explained.

"What should be done then?" the man asked Cedric. "I do not wish to replace my chaser. She is a valuable asset to the team as well as your fiancée. Shall we go after both of them?"

"The winner," Cedric decreed. "He'll be the one to have Ginny."

"Could this be a trap?" the man asked.

"It very well may be," Cedric murmured. He heard rumors of those who wished to destroy him and what they might do, with this being the most popular. For all he knew, this was done in order to draw him out, in order to destroy him. "But, we will go anyway. I will not lose Ginny after I have worked so hard to earn her love." Rather than using brooms as before, Cedric ran off after the one who kidnapped the girl he loved, the girl he would win the heart of even it killed him. "Let's go. The longer we wait, the more of a chance that she could be harmed."

***

While flying on his broom, it did not take very long for the man in black to find Ginny and her captor. He touched down a few feet away from them to see that she was blindfolded. _I wonder if she'll remember me. It's been years since I last saw her. _The man in black recalled hearing Blaise mention that she was engaged. _Perhaps not_, he thought glumly. _I waited too long. Why did I wait so long to return for her? _He stepped forward and advanced towards this mysterious blond man who kidnapped Ginny and forced him to go after her.

The blond looked up, his obsidian eyes gleaming with malice. A wand was pointed at a blindfolded Ginny's neck. "Take another step forward and she dies!" the blond threatened him.

Knowing that the blond had every intention of following through with his plan; that this was not an empty threat, the man in black put a hand up. "Let me explain," he said. Maybe he could reason with the man and rescue Ginny from the monster that was her captor. _I have to try. _The man in black knew that he was the only one who could help her; Ginny's fiancé was nowhere to be found. If Cedric Diggory cared for Ginny, he had a funny way of showing it; he wasn't here trying to rescue her. _If Diggory won't save her, I will._

"Explanations will do nothing to help you!" the blond fumed. "All you're here to do is take what I rightfully stolen. You have no chance though. I am not about to let you ruin my plan."

"Perhaps a deal can be made," the man in black suggested.

"No deal!" the blond cried. "The girl dies!"

In no way was the man in black willing to accept the blond's answer as a possible outcome. After what he'd just gone through in order to save her, the man in black simply was not willing to let that happen. _Saving her is all that matters._ He was stuck though, for it seemed as if the blond would not change his mind. Even with his cunning mind, the man in black came up with nothing that would assure Ginny's safe return. "If no deal can be made, then we are at an impasse," the man in black said as he looked longingly at the blindfolded red-head seated beside the blond. _How can I save you, Ginny, if he does not give me the chance?_

"Finally you understand," the blond grinned, black eyes glinting with malice. "There is no way that I could compete with you physically and you could never outsmart me." He pointed his wand at the man in black. "So, be off with you. You have no chance at rescuing the girl."

The man in black smirked. An idea was forming in his head. "A former Ravenclaw, eh?" _His brain is probably nothing compared to Granger's or my own._ The blond nodded. _This guy seems to have no clue as to who I am. Otherwise, he would know that I could beat him. Well, I think it's time to show him. _"How about we prove that?" the man in black suggested.

"You sure you want to do that?" the blond asked.

"Indeed," the man in black replied. This was his only chance at rescuing Ginny and he had no intention of backing down. It didn't matter how smart the blond was; the man in black could beat him.

"For her?" the blond gestured to Ginny.

"Of course."

"To the death?" he asked.

"The only way it can end," the man in black admitted as he took a seat. Only death could ever keep the man in black from getting Ginny back. He knew that. And, the blond would only stop trying to achieve his goal if death came first. This was the only way it could end.

"Then let's begin," the blond cackled.

_You're going to regret this_, the man in black thought. _Your overconfidence will be your downfall. _He removed a vial from his robes and held it out for the blond to take. As he took out a second vial, the man in black explained what was about to happen. "One of these vials will kill you. The other will do nothing. Which vial will kill you?" the man in black asked as he set the second vial down. The man in black smirked at his ingenuity. He knew that the blond would never figure out what was done. And, when he did, it would be far too late.

The blond sneered. "Really? Give me a challenge!"

"So you know which one it is then?" the man in black asked.

"Of course I do!" the blond fumed, placing the vial he held in front of him. "It's really quite simple. All I really need to do is understand the type of person you are to know which vial you handed me."

"That simple huh?" the man in black asked. _Well, my friend, you are in for quite a surprise. I'm much smarter than you are if you haven't realized what I've done. Ginny, you're one decision away from being rescued. Just give it a few more minutes and you'll be okay. _

"Of course. All I really need to know is if you're the type of person you would hand the enemy a poison or keep it for yourself," the man explained. "Now, any normal person would ensure that the poison would never harm them, so drinking the contents of the vial in front of me seems a stupid idea."

"Have you come to a decision?" the man in black asked.

"No," the blond replied.

The man in black quirked an eyebrow. It certainly seemed as if he made a decision. How could he not have? "If you haven't yet come to a decision, then continue," the man in black said.

He nodded, onyx-colored eye glinting with excitement as he explained his reasoning. "Well, you've beaten my Bulgarian friend, a strong man indeed. So, I can't help but wonder if you're counting on your own strength to save you. Conversely, I don't think I'll choose the vial in front of you."

The man in black could see something more in the way this blond spoke. He did not seem to want to stop. _Dimwit. Doesn't he realize how much of an idiot he's being? This guy may have been a Ravenclaw, but he sure as hell isn't acting like one. Granger would sure as hell figure out what I've done and she isn't even a Ravenclaw; she's a bloody Gryffindor._

The blond continued. "However, you've also beaten my Italian friend, meaning that you must have studied. And, in studying, surely you must have realized that there is no way you could survive drinking a poison, so I should not bother drinking the vial in front of me."

"Surely you must have come to a decision by _now_?" the man in black asked.

"Not at all!" the blond decreed.

"But there is nothing more you could try to divine!" the man in black objected. "If you expect me to give something away, I'm afraid that you'll be sadly mistaken. I am not about to give something away."

"Of course you will," the blond informed him, a smile spreading over his face. "In fact, you already have. Your expression tells it all, providing me with a window into your soul."

"If you seem so confident about this, choose already," the man in black replied. He grew tired of the blond's stalling, wishing to get this over with. _Ginny's life is dependant on my beating this ass. Just choose already so I can get all of this over with and get Ginny out of here. _

"Don't worry. I will," the blond grinned. He was about to pick up one of the vials when his arm shot up, pointing to something behind the man in black. "Oh! What in the world is _that_?" The man in black's head turned for a brief moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the blond switching the vials. "I could have sworn I saw something," the blond muttered when the man in black turned back to him. "Oh well, I suppose I better drink the contents of the vial." He picked up the vial in front of him and, as the man in black noticed, only drank the vial after him.

The man in black smirked. "You chose wrong."

"No I didn't," the blond insisted. "You only think I did. I switched the vials when you turned around."

"I know," the man in black replied.

"You know?" the blond asked.

"Of course," the man in black informed the blond, his gaze flickering from Ginny to her captor. _Just thirty more seconds. Then he'll be gone. All I need to do is keep him talking; keep him from realizing what I've done in order to protect Ginerva Weasley. _"You think that just because you were once a Ravenclaw, you're smarter than everyone. I'd be willing to bet that a Ravenclaw never had the top scores during exams throughout all your years at Hogwarts." The blond growled and the man in black knew that he struck a nerve; his guess was accurate. "Furthermore, I bet it was a Gryffindor by the name of Hermione Granger who beat all the Ravenclaws. You're _not _the smartest person around; I just proved that."

"Oh yeah! Well…"

Before the blond could finish what he was saying, he keeled over; thus allowing the man in black to move closer to Ginny. He removed the blindfold and smirked at her. "Who are you?" she asked.

Though his face was stoic, the man in black was quite taken aback. _She does not remember me_, he realized. _Ginny will know in time_. He took hold of her wrist. "I am no one of consequence," he informed her. If Ginny did not yet know the identity of the man by her side, the man in black would not tell her; this was for her to figure out on her own. "Now, come on."

Ginny nodded. "So, the vial in front you was the one that would kill?" she asked.

"Not exactly," the man in black admitted. Now that the blond was dead and Ginny was at his side, the man in black could freely tell her of his ingenious plan. "Both vials would kill; it's something of my own creation. I spent several years perfecting it, as well as the antidote." He smirked at her. "Of course, Ginny, if I were you, I'd keep that to myself. Very few people are even aware of what I've created, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. Understand?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. Let's go then." The man in black gripped Ginny's hand tightly and pulled her along. He needed to get Ginny out of here, just in case Cedric really was coming after her.

***

The brooms on which Cedric and his companion rode came to a halt for a second time. He dismounted and examined the area and came to a conclusion. "Krum!" he exclaimed, remembering the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Cedric's fists clenched as he stood up; Ginny was nowhere to be found. "My fiancée is nowhere to be found. We must keep looking." They remounted and sped off.

***

After escaping the blond—thanks to his rather sudden death—Ginny was relegated to getting pulled along a narrow grassy path, her new captor's black gloved hand gripping her wrist rather tightly. She tried pulling away, but his grip increased. _Who the hell is this guy? _Ginny wondered. When he was first appeared to be following her, Ginny suspected it to be her rescuer. Now she was not so sure. His cold exterior seemed to prove otherwise, as if he had his own ulterior motives for rescuing her. _I definitely made a major mistake in trusting him. Now how am I supposed to get out of this? _the red-head wondered.

Her captor released her wrist. "We'll rest here."

From the tone of his voice, Ginny's suspicions were confirmed; she made a major mistake in trusting this man. _I have to get out of this. _She groaned. _I can believe I'm even saying this, but even being around Cedric is better than this. I have to try to reason with him. _"Please release me; you'll get whatever you want if you do," Ginny told him. "I can assure you of that."

"Oh yes; I believe _that_," her captor decreed.

"Look, I'm trying to give you a chance here," Ginny warned. "You clearly do not know this, but I can assure you that my fiancé will come after me. He's a seeker for the Holyhead Harpies; he finds everything he sets his mind on locating. And, that includes me." As much as she hated the man's guts for tricking her into an engagement, Ginny knew that Cedric was her only hope at escaping this. Though death would reunite her with Draco, there was a part of Ginny that didn't want to die, a part of her soul that wished nothing more than to live. The two sides warred with one another and Ginny could be sure which would win.

Her captor quirked an eyebrow. "You think your true love will save you?"

Ginny's temper flared. _How dare he insinuate that I would ever love Cedric? I hate him. I despise the man that would dare steal my heart away from the dead man who claimed it what feels like an eternity ago._ Her fists clenched and she began screaming at the man in black. "Did I say that he was my true love?" she roared, wishing she had her wand to cast a Bat-Bogey Hex on him. She lowered her voice an octave and continued. "However, he's going to save. There is no doubt about that."

"You do _not_ love your fiancé?" the man in black—her captor—asked. Ginny could sense a hint of amusement in his voice, as if her captor seemed happy about this recent development.

"He knows perfectly well how much I despise him," Ginny retorted. "When he first approached me about going on a date with him, I warned him that he would _not _win my heart. I made it very clear to him that I would never love him. I'd rather die than marry him.

"You probably are not even capable of love," the man in black argued. "Stop trying to delude yourself and accept that you will probably never be able to love anyone in your life. Love does not exist. I would have had a loving family through my life if love existed."

"Of course love exists!" Ginny exclaimed. "And, for your information, I have loved far more than a monster like you would ever comprehend." Her mind drifted to Draco and she smiled briefly, thinking about the man who was supposed to be her enemy; the man her brother hated.

Ginny regretted uttering those words when it became apparent that her captor took offense to what was said. His wand whipped out and was pointed at her for a few brief seconds before getting put away. "That is the only warning I will give. Next time, I will not hesitate to kill you."

***

For the third time in the span of two hours, Cedric and his companion dismounted their brooms when they came upon something. In this case, the pair came upon a blond man lying in front of them on a grassy knoll. He bent down to check for a pulse. "Dead," he replied, standing up. He grunted in frustration. _Where could she be? Where could Ginny have gone_?

Cedric's companion looked to him for answers. It often did seem as if Cedric ran the team, the owner being a somewhat incompetent lackey of sorts. "Have you any idea where Miss Weasley might be?" he queried. "It would be stupid to get a new chaser when the team I'm working with recently won the Quidditch World Cup. She put be found imminently."

"I am aware of that," Cedric mumbled. "And, she _has_ been here." He pointed to the footsteps left behind. "She seemed to traveling with someone." Cedric indicated a second pair of footsteps. "Let's go. She is alive, for the moment. We cannot be certain for how much longer."

***

When next they stopped, Ginny found herself near a small chasm. Perhaps a few feet away was a rather steep cliff. _Tumbling down there would not be wise_. She glared at her captor as he took a seat. A quick study of him and his mannerisms gave Ginny the ammunition she needed. "I know who you are," Ginny informed him. _How could I have missed it before_, she scolded herself. _After all that he's done to me, it should have been obvious._ When no response came, Ginny continued yelling. "You're Lord Voldemort; don't try to deny it."

The man in black grinned. "Of course."

Ginny's temper flared. It got to a point where she could not contain her rage; her disdain for the man standing before her knew no bounds. If it were possible to murder without the Ministry of Magic discovering what she had done, Ginny would be willing to do so. Voldemort destroyed any chance she had at happiness and now here he was, probably ready to do the same to her. _If only I had my wand. Then maybe I could use the killing curse on him and finish what Harry could not. Or maybe I could hit him with a Bat-Bogey Hex._

"Death? Really?" her captor asked. "Why?"

_Damn it! Forgot about the Legilimency_, Ginny swore. She glared at him, her brown eyes cutting him like daggers. "If you possess Legilimency as I know you do, you should know what you did. You killed my true love!"

"Maybe I did," he replied crisply. "I have killed many people in my time. Your true love, eh? Who was it? Is it someone like your fiancé, perhaps; a rich dimwit who cares nothing about what you want?"

"Maybe once," Ginny growled, remembering that Draco gave up all rights to his inheritance for her. "But, not when he left; when he left me, Draco was but a poor wizard, searching for a way to make his own fortune." Ginny's eyes gazed over as she remembered the boy her heart yearned for. "Blond and beautiful, with eyes like the sea after a storm." She glared at the man in black, her piercing gaze boring into him as she explained her pain to the man who caused it. She wished to make him understand what he did to her and why she was in such a miserable state that she could not love. "I received word just before seventh year at Hogwarts from his aunt that he died of injuries sustained in a cataclysmic wizard's duel. What I don't understand is why. His father was a Death Eater, your right hand man if I remember correctly. Why would you have his son murdered?"

"He was of no use to me," the man in black murmured.

"So you kill him!" Ginny exploded.

"That's life," he barked. "It's unfair. You better get used to it. In life, things don't always go your way; there is no such thing as a perfect life." He stroked his chin in thought. "It's vague, but I remember the boy you speak of. Malfoy's boy, right?" Ginny nodded, unable to speak. "Ah, yes. Well, it might interest you to know that Malfoy did not suffer. He went peaceful, only after confiding in me regarding his one reason to live. _True Love_, if I recall. He begged to be healed of his injuries, wanting to see his true love again, clearly that must have been you." He scoffed. "I must say, I think I made the right choice in allowing him to die. He'd surely die of heartbreak if he were to learn what had become of you."

"And what is that exactly?" she questioned.

"Your engagement to that dunderhead Diggory," the man in black replied. Ginny stood there, jaw dropped at this man's knowledge of who her engagement was to. "Legilimency, remember? Anyway, tell me how long it was before moving on to Diggory. Surely, it can't have been long."

Ginny's deep brown eyes narrowed to slits and she began seeing red. This man in black—her captor, Lord Voldemort—pushed her over the edge this time. "You think I _wanted_ to marry that twit," she fumed, unable to contain her rage. "You're sadly mistaken if you do. The _only _reason I'm currently engaged to that prat is because he tricked me. His popularity both in school and as a star Quidditch Seeker on the Holyhead Harpies knew no bounds. I was the only girl around who cared nothing for him, yet I was the only one he wanted. I went out on a few dates with him, but his obsession with he grew, despite my constant attempts to dissuade him from pursuing me because of me inability to love.

"I'm engaged to that prick _merely _because he proposed at the Quidditch World Cup in front of millions of people. And, though I may have accepted the proposal, it was mostly done of peer pressure. Since that day, I have tried to break the engagement, to no avail. No one, my brother in particular, will not _allow _me to pine for my beloved. He hates the man I fell in love with and will do anything to ensure that I do not brood over my loss for the rest of my life." Ginny cursed Ron for what he had done, for making his only sister's life miserable. Ron could never really let Ginny be happy, especially when it caused him pain. She supported her brother when he married the love of his life: Hermione Granger. Why could he accept the same for her? Ginny loved Draco; there would be no other. "So that you understand this, I will say it very slowly; I died that day" She caught a brief glimpse of two brooms zooming towards them and Ginny got an idea; she would do what Harry couldn't. "And, as retribution for all that you've done—both to me and the people I care about—you can die now too." Ginny used all of her strength to push her captor into the chasm, hoping that he would die, but unsure if it would actually work. _What was I thinking?_ Ginny wondered. _I let that monster rescue me when I could have waited for Zabini to be released from the Imperius Curse. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! _she berated herself.

Down the chasm, the man in black tumbled. Ginny smiled as he did, at least until hearing four words she wished she never heard. "As…you…wish…weasel!" the man in black called.

The last word caught Ginny's memory; it was a voice she recognized, one she spent five and a half years torturing. In that moment, Ginny knew what she had done. "Draco," she whispered. Not caring how dangerous it was to go down into the chasm, Ginny followed the man she pushed, having realized too late that it was in fact the man she fell in love with years ago.

* * *

**Author's Note: This was definitely my favorite chapter to write. Not only did I get to put my own twist on the challenges set forth for the man in black in order to rescue the damsel-in-distress, but I was able to incorporate two of my favorite lines from the movie into this chapter. _As you wish_ and _…with eyes like the sea after a storm_. In fact, it was that particular line that helped inspire me to even write this story. When you think about it, that description could be made about Draco Malfoy and be very accurate. **

**I was also about to create my own version of how the fiancé arrived. It never really made any sense to me how Humperdinck could sail across from Florin to Guilder with all his men and their horses in such a short period of time. In writing this, I was able to come with a more plausible explanation.**

**Leave a review. **


	8. A Journey of Hazards

**Chapter 8: A Journey of Hazards**

At the top of the chasm where two people recently tumbled away, two brooms landed and their owners dismounted. "Damn it! They disappeared. I could have sworn they were here," Cedric grumbled. He searched for any sign of Ginny and her captor. Nothing indicated that they were anywhere around here. Cedric remounted his broom and kicked off the ground. "I think I might know where they are headed," he mumbled as he rose into the air.

"Where?" his companion asked.

Cedric pointed. "There. I suspect that they're headed towards Inferno Valley." He really wished that wasn't the case. After leaving Hogwarts, Cedric heard whispers of a place more frightening than the Forbidden Forest; so frightening in fact that no one ever made it out alive. The place in question was Inferno Valley. _I wanted to avoid this place_, Cedric thought. _Why did that monster have to pick this, of all places, to bring Ginny? _He already knew the answer to that, however; it was done to keep him away from the girl he loved, the girl whom he was determined to win the heart of. _I will rescue you, Ginny. I will ensure that you are safe and protected from the monsters that kidnapped you from me._

***

When Ginny pushed him down into the chasm, it was clear that she had not yet figured out his identity. He spent a lot of time dropping hints, trying to make Ginny realize who he was. It was to no avail though since Ginny felt the need to push him off a cliff; that was what he got for becoming the person she hated the most. So, as a last resort, he pulled out his ace-in-the-hole: her old nickname. He was the only one to ever use it, whether it was said towards her or her brother. In any case, he knew Ginny would recognize it.

It soon became apparent that Ginny came tumbling down after him, meaning that she recognized the nickname. _I should have used that right away when I rescued Ginny from the blond that I'm sure would have killed her had I not interfered. _Since she came after him down a steep cliff, Ginny was probably hurt. He lifted himself up and went to check on her, hoping that nothing happened to her because of him. "Weasel," he asked softly, "are you okay?"

Ginny grinned. "I think so, ferret." Draco was about to object to the name he had long since rid himself of when Ginny started laughing quietly, silencing any objection he would have to the name. "Oh, come on. After five years of believing you were dead, there was no way I was going to let the name slide. I thought I lost you," she explained quietly.

"Didn't I tell you I'd be back for you?" Draco inquired. She nodded mutely. "What happened then?" he demanded. "Why didn't you wait for me to return like I told you I would?"

"I told you," Ginny replied. "Your aunt. She sent word that you were dead at the start of my seventh year. My heart died that day, shattered into a million pieces. I may be engaged, but my heart belongs to you."

Draco cursed his aunt for doing such a thing. He had no idea that his crazy Aunt Bellatrix would go so far as writing to Ginny about his death so as to ensure his participation in what was required of him. In doing what she did, it kept Draco in his place and unable to go out in search of Ginny at any point during the past five years. Bellatrix expected that Ginny would move on; that she'd forget about Draco and marry someone new, someone that wasn't her nephew. _Too bad Aunt Bella could not predict Ginny's reaction. She loves me too much, even after everything I did to her and her older brothers. _"My aunt thought she was doing what was best." Ginny blanched. "I can't condone it, however, since it was done without my knowledge."

"Why would she do such a thing?" Ginny queried.

"That's a long story I'd rather not get into at the moment," Draco grumbled. He'd deal with his aunt later. Right now, only one thing mattered; getting Ginny out of her engagement. So long as her engagement was intact, they could not be together. Based on what he pieced together between what Blaise and Ginny told her, she was trapped in this engagement; no one would let her break the engagement. Besides, he couldn't be sure of how to stop it either. "And, I doubt you'd want to hear this anyway, seeing as it kept us apart."

"You're telling me at some point," Ginny warned.

"If you say so," Draco smirked, kissing her.

_Buttercup's silver eyes lit up as her mother described the reunion that seemed to defy all laws of physics. How had Draco survived? It was this question that was on the tip of her tongue, but she could not bring herself to form the question into words. Her mother seemed so engrossed in telling the story that Buttercup could not bring herself to interrupt her for such a menial question, a question that very well could be answered later in the story. So, Buttercup kept her commentary to herself and listened to her mother's story, hoping that her question would be answered in a latter portion of the story._

_"Something wrong?" her mother asked._

_The young eleven year-old shook her head. "No. You just seem to get lost in telling this story," Buttercup replied as she got into a more comfortable position and pulled the comforter up further for warmth. And, it was true. Buttercup had never seen her mother get so engrossed in telling any other story throughout her life. This story seemed to have some strange effect on her. It was unclear as to the reason though; seeing as it was her father who insisted this story be told, this was the first time she'd ever heard this story, so there was nothing to gauge it on. She could do this all the time and Buttercup might never know._

_"Ah, yes. Well, hearing this story can do that to me," her mother explained. "It's hard to say why though. It's yet another reason in which I never wanted to tell you this story. But, your father insisted."_

_Buttercup was glad for that. This story was of interest, definitely the perfect story to hear on her last night at home, before her first year in Hogwarts began. "He made the right decision," she announced. "I'd hate not being able to hear this story. It truly is beautiful." Buttercup could see why her father wished for this story to be told. Not only was it a rather beautiful story, but there was an underlying lesson to be learned from this. And, Buttercup would take that lesson to heart for when she went off to Hogwarts tomorrow. _

_"Your father would love to hear you say that," her mother chuckled._

_"Then would you please continue telling me the story," Buttercup persuaded her mother, knowing perfectly well that she might not want to continue telling the story. "You can tell Dad afterwards about how much I enjoy this story." A part of Buttercup wondered why her father wasn't the one in here regaling her with this love story when he was the one who wanted the story told in the first place. Her mother had been intent on never telling this story. It would be far easier if Mum took care of Westley and her father told this story to his daughter. Maybe then, Buttercup would have no need to persuade anyone to continue anyone to continue telling this story. "Come on, Mum. I want to hear more of this story."_

_"Okay," her mother conceded._

A smile broke out on Ginny's face and Draco knew that revealing himself was the right decision. _Ginny needed this; she needed me. _He groaned. _I should have done this the moment I got her in my custody. _Just before Ginny pushed him, Draco caught a glimpse of two brooms careening towards them. Cedric was coming for Ginny. _At least she trusts me now that she knows who I am. So long as she believed I was Voldemort, she'd willing run into Diggory's arms for fear of what I may do to her. I can't let that dunderhead Diggory get what is rightfully mine. _After what Aunt Bella did to keep him away from his true love, Draco was not about let anything more separate him and Ginny for any longer than they had. "Weasel, I think we better get out of here. Something tells me we have a problem," he explained.

"Cedric," Ginny remarked knowingly.

"Indeed," he replied.

"Where do we go?" Ginny asked.

"The only place we can go," Draco informed her. Considering all the scary stories and its haunted reputation—not unlike the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade—entering Inferno Valley seemed the best idea at the time. What were the chances of Cedric following them in there?

"Draco! Inferno Valley, really?" Ginny exclaimed.

"If you _want _Cedric to come get you, then you can go ahead and stay here," Draco reminded her. "But, since I know you want nothing to do with him and the engagement he tricked you into, I think you better come with me. Just trust me when I tell you that entering Inferno Valley is for the best. Now, come on." He took her hand and dragged her along the narrow path that would lead them into Inferno Valley. _This is going to work_, he thought as the pair made their way over to where the path entered Inferno Valley. _It's going to work._

As they cautiously made their way into Inferno Valley, the lighting dimmed and Draco removed his wand. "_Lumos_," he whispered. Upon lighting his wand, he and Ginny were met with a rather gloomy sight. Staring back at them was a rather depressing looking forest; the trees half-dead, not from the changing of seasons, but rather from the dark presence Draco could sense. Being trained in the Dark Arts throughout much of his life and eventually being immersed into the practice when he was captured by Lord Voldemort, Draco knew when he was surrounded by evil. Inferno Valley radiated with evil; he knew that it would. Not like this though, a force so powerful it could _not _be natural. "Well, this is charming," he remarked to Ginny, his voice dripping with his usual sarcasm.

"Definitely pleasant," Ginny agreed, matching his tone.

"We must continue on though," Draco said.

"Why not just apparate out of here?" Ginny asked.

"I do not think that wise," Draco told her. When met with a look of confusion on Ginny's face, Draco elaborated further. "There may be a trace on your magic, thus alerting Cedric to your location. As for me, people think I'm dead. So long as they think I'm dead, you're safe."

"But, stay here?" Ginny asked.

"It's our only option at the moment," Draco reminded her. "Either stay here with me in Inferno Valley or go find Diggory. It's your choice, Weasel." Ginny, having most likely heard the terrible stories about Inferno Valley, seemed to want nothing to do with this place. As much as she wanted out of her engagement, Ginny refused to bring herself anywhere near Inferno Valley. Draco grabbed her by the shoulders and stared intently into her big brown eyes. "Look, Ginny, you may not want to stay here because of how dangerous it's supposed to be, but I promise you we'll be okay here. Nothing is going to happen to…"

Before he could finish what he was saying, a hand grabbed hold of Ginny's ankle, pulling her down. Draco pointed his wand in the direction that the hand came from as he heard Ginny's scream. "Draco! Inferi!"

"The dead walking!" Draco grumbled as he went after Ginny. "I should have known." Dark magic flowed through Inferno Valley in massive amounts. This area was a breeding ground for dark magic; he could sense it. Not once did Draco Malfoy ever suspect that Inferi were here. During the five years in which he was completely immersed within the dark arts, he never heard anything about Inferi in Inferno Valley; odd since Inferi were created of dark magic. _There is something very weird going on here_, he realized. _Why are Inferi here_? Whatever the reason, Draco was not about to let Ginny stay in their vicinity for much longer than she already had. He wished for her to be nowhere near dark magic, especially after what happened during her first year at Hogwarts, events happening courtesy of his father.

Draco started off in the direction that Ginny was taken. "Damn it! Just when I finally get her back, she's taken from me." Based on everything that occurred over the past five years, the universe seemed intent on keeping them apart. For what reasons was fate conspiring to keep them apart?

As he tailed Ginny and the Inferi that took her, Draco wondered who might have sent the Inferi into Inferno Valley. There had to be a reason. What that was still eluded him though. He pushed past a thicket of overgrown trees to see a shot of red hair getting dragged through the mud. _It's too bad apparating is out of the question. Otherwise, I might be able to get her back faster. _Of course, since that was not an option, Draco would have to use his Slytherin cunningness to devise a way to get her back. He swung up into a tree and carefully watched as the Inferi dragged Ginny away off to the south. Draco jumped from tree to tree to stay within three feet of her. Any further than that and Draco might not be able to save her.

A few minutes of this passed before Draco decided it was time to launch his attack. He wasted enough time chasing after her. Now was the time for action. Now was the time for him to rescue Ginny from the dark creatures that would surely kill her if he stood by and did nothing. He pointed his wand at Ginny. "_Mobilicorpus_!" Ginny's body rose up into the air, waiting for Draco's command. Draco lifted her higher up so that she would catch one of trees braches and escape the Inferi. "Ginny!" he called as the spell wore off and she grabbed a tree branch to hang on. "Over here! Find your way over to me and we'll get out of here."

Ginny did as she was told and Draco grabbed hold of her, making certain that he had a tight grip of her. "You were saying?" Ginny asked. He looked at her in confusion. "Before the Inferi grabbed me; you said that nothing would happen. Well, I hate to say it, but I told you so."

"Hey!" Draco snapped.

"_You're_ the one who insisted nothing would happen," she reminded him.

"Well, I had no idea that any Inferi would be found here in Inferno Valley!" Draco exclaimed. "Now, come on. We need to get out of here before something like _that_ happens again."

"I can see that you know," Ginny grunted as Draco swung out of the tree they were in and pulled her back in the direction they had been heading before the Inferi carried her off. She pointed back at the Inferi in exasperation. "See, this is exactly why I didn't want to come in here. Something like this was sure to happen and I didn't want that, not after believing you dead the past five years. I'm simply not willing to go through that a second time."

"I know," he replied. "And, I'm not going anywhere."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked.

Draco smirked. "Don't you remember what I told you earlier? Or rather what you assumed? That still holds true. As far as anyone is concerned, I _am_ Lord Voldemort," he said.

"How though?" Ginny asked.

_Saw that coming_, he thought. Considering how little sense this made when it was first explained to him, Draco found it understandable that Ginny would find this confusing. Hanging around with Potter so much during her school years helped with that; no one would really understand just how little was known about Voldemort. No one knew the whole story as few people were ever made aware of the true nature of Voldemort. "That's a complicated story, Gin."

"Tell me," Ginny insisted, her deep velvety brown eyes boring into Draco. "It's not like we have much else to do. Cedric is still after me and will probably skin you alive if we are found. So, please tell me, ferret," Draco only slightly grimaced at the name, "how did you become Lord Voldemort when he's supposed to have existed since before we were even born?"

As they walked through Inferno Valley, Draco informed Ginny of his ventures; he was hesitant to do so at first, but he knew Ginny to be a stubborn woman. In the five years they'd been apart, that was the one thing that never changed. "Well…" _Draco had been living within the Death Eaters for two years now. Since his duel with Voldemort when he first arrived here, Draco had been here. He initially came here hoping to destroy Voldemort where Potter could not. Potter could hardly walk into enemy territory and destroy it from within. _That_ had been Draco's intention. Only problem with his plan was that Voldemort saw through the façade and challenged him to a duel, one that many hoped would kill Draco._

_During the duel, it became clear—through idle blather that he overheard from some of the Death Eaters watching the duel—that Draco's choice in loyalty to Ginny rather than his family caused some commotion within the Death Eaters. Lucius Malfoy lost his favor with the Dark Lord because of what Draco had done and thing spiraled out of control. When Draco showed up wanting to destroy Voldemort, it was seen by many as a chance to atone for what happened. Everyone wanted Draco dead for betraying his family in favor of a blood-traitor. Before Voldemort could utter the killing curse however, Lucius Malfoy traded his own life for his son's. Draco found that shocking in and of itself, but did not complain as his father's sacrifice kept him alive. Draco was allowed to heal from his injuries, but held hostage as penalty for where his loyalties lie. It took Draco months to gain Voldemort's trust and let out of the dungeon he was held in at the time, but his loyalties were still questionable, resulting in his being forced to do grunt work at the time._

_Things were like that for a long time—three months in fact—before Draco saw an improvement. He was still not trusted completely, but a little latitude was allowed. No longer had Draco been relegated into completing the grunt work—the more menial of tasks—but rather he was given a little more responsibility. That was where he was now. After a year and a half this, Draco had yet to achieve more responsibility than that. Even stranger than that was the fact that Voldemort had yet to force Draco to take the Dark Mark. It was unusual for one of his followers to not take the Dark Mark; why was he so different?_

_Draco sat in his room simply staring at the emerald-colored walls as he pondered this, wanting to understand why the Dark Mark was never forced upon him, never marring his flawlessly pale skin. He sat there pondering this a few minutes more before hearing a knock on his door. Looking up, Draco found Pettigrew staring back at him. Out of everyone here—the Carrows included—it was Wormtail that Draco despised the most. He heard whispers of how Pettigrew came to be here; that he returned to Voldemort after Draco's third year, eventually helping the Dark Lord return to his body. As grateful as everyone was to Pettigrew for coming to Voldemort's aid in his time of need, _no one_ was very fond of the rat. He was just that, a treacherous rat. Nothing in the world was ever going to change that. "What is it, Wormtail?" he asked, biting back the bile that rose to his esophagus and threatened to come up whenever he spoke with the chubby rat animagus. _

_"M-m-master wishes to speak with you," he stammered._

_"Oh, really? What does _he_ want?" Draco asked._

_"I do not know," he mumbled. "But, you'd best hurry. It's not wise to make him wait, especially when he's angry." Pettigrew scurried away like the rat that he was, leaving Draco alone. _

_"I hate that rat," Draco grumbled as he trudged from his room to where Voldemort was sure to be waiting. No one would truly ever know just how much Draco despised Pettigrew. There was just something about him that the young Malfoy didn't like. Maybe it was because of what Pettigrew caused to happen to Sirius Black. Although he was considered by most to not being family, Draco considered him to be. Family was family and, after giving up his own fortune, Draco would need all the family he could get the support of. "If I was in control, Pettigrew would be out on his fat ass," he grunted as he entered Voldemort's domain._

_"You might very well get your chance," a cool voice intoned. Draco looked up and saw the Dark Lord staring back at him, red eyes gleaming with a rather wicked flicker. Something was going on here and Draco was unsure if he even _wanted _to know what was going on. Voldemort motioned to the Death Eaters scattered about the room. "Leave us!"_

_It took a matter of five seconds for the room to be vacated of all of its occupants sans Draco and Voldemort. The door behind them slammed shut, locking as it did. "What would you like?" Draco inquired._

_"Malfoy, you said it yourself; you want to be in control of this operation," the Dark Lord stated. "Well, what if I told you I knew of a way for this to happen. Would you be willing?"_

_"How, sir?" Draco inquired._

_Voldemort smirked. He wove his wand around himself and looked expectantly at Draco as he set the wand down. Draco watched in shock as the blood red eyes he had grown so accustomed to seeing during his time here faded away, becoming an emerald green. The slits that were Voldemort's nostrils grew larger and a nose shifted back into place. As the sallow of his skin faded away, a mop of brown hair sprouted from the top of his head. "My biggest secret."_

_Draco stood there, frozen in his spot. This was never something he expected. How could Voldemort not be Voldemort? "What is this, some sort of trick?" he asked, that being the first thought to pop into his head. Nothing else could explain how such a thing was possible._

_"No trick," the Voldemort imposter stated._

_"Then explain!" Draco shouted._

_"Impatient, are we, Mr. Malfoy?" Before Draco could speak, he continued. "As you can see, I'm not the Dark Lord Voldemort. My name is Carter. Carter Yaxley. Four years ago, I was approached by the man you despise so much." Draco cringed. "Yes, well, the story I was told was that—thanks to an ancient ritual—Voldemort was reborn. So that Harry Potter could not destroy him, he concocted a plan that would ensure his safety. I was a part of that plan; I was to take the Dark Lord's place so that, should the doppelganger die, Tom Marvolo Riddle—the true Dark Lord—would still live. I cannot continue to do this," Yaxley confessed. "The Death Eaters are all incompetent—your father excluded; sorry for your loss—and I'm not sure if I can handle their idiocy anymore. If you wish to take over, you can. I have no intention of stopping you from doing so."_

_"So I came here two years ago for nothing?" Draco asked._

_Yaxley nodded, clearly remembering their duel two years ago. "If you came here to kill Voldemort—as we both know you did—then yes. Only I know where Voldemort has been hiding for all these years and I have no intention of telling anyone." He removed a memory from his head and bottled it, handing it to Draco. "Before I am oblivated, I must warn you of a few things. Firstly, you must know that your former life—your life as Draco Malfoy—is officially over now that you've agreed to undertake this mission. Harry Potter may eventually kill you and your identity will die with you since no one will know who you really are. Secondly, that memory I gave you must never be viewed; once all memory of my own time as Voldemort is oblivated from my memory, no one will ever know where Riddle is hiding. Finally, I must give you the spell that will help your transform into the Dark Lord. As it would require someone else to have knowledge that a switch was made, Polyjuice Potion is not an option. So a spell was created to allow the transformation."_

_Before Yaxley could tell Draco the spell and seal his own fate, Draco put a hand up to stop the man. There was still one question that he needed an answer to. "Is Pettigrew still aware of what happened?" Draco questioned. "Does he know that the Dark Lord is in hiding?" _

_"No, he was oblivated of all knowledge that a switch was ever made," Yaxley said. "Once I am oblivated, you and the Dark Lord will be the only ones to have knowledge that a switch was made."_

_"Thank you," Draco said after he was given the spell that would seal his fate. He quickly used the spell and, as his appearance changed—silver to blood red eyes; nostrils becoming slits; skin becoming even more pale and sallow than it already was; and platinum blond hair disappeared—Draco wondered if he might one day be able to escape his inevitable fate of death the way Yaxley had. Maybe then, he could go reunite with Ginny. It seemed a pointless task to go after Voldemort now that he knew this secret. Even though he was now the secret hidden since the Tri-Wizard Tournament ended, a part of him knew that it would not be wise to do as he initially intended. Until such a time that Draco could be absolutely certain that his plan to destroy Voldemort for good would not backfire, things had to remain as they were. Draco tucked the memory Yaxley gave him into the folds of his robe and pointed his hawthorn wand at the man in front of him. "Oblivate!" _

_After the spell was cast, a bewildered looking Yaxley looked around. His eyes widened at the sight of Draco's appearance as Voldemort. "I-I-I-I've got to get out of here!" he stammered._

_"Go!" Draco commanded. _

_Yaxley bowed. "Thank you."_

_Once Yaxley apparated out of there, Draco smirked and left the room. It was time to deal with Pettigrew once and for all. Then, on top of that, he needed to announce that Draco Malfoy was dead. Since he was to emerge from the room in the form of the Dark Lord, the only explanation Draco could use to explain his own disappearance was death. It was his only option at the moment. "This is my life now," he murmured softly. "As much as I want to go back and find Ginny, I cannot. I promised I would return and I will. Just not right now."_

Ginny stood there, wide-eyed, gaping at Draco's story. Draco could see the confusion written all over her face. It seemed he would have to explain this a bit further in order to make her understand what happened three years ago. "Huh?" she asked. "Draco, what's going on?"

"I knew you would ask that," he chuckled. "Well, the reason Potter's not yet been able to destroy Voldemort is because he's been in hiding. I have no clue where though, as I never viewed the memory. And, sending it to Potter was never an option. If he knew that I sent it, _Saint Potter_ would surely destroy the memory and all traces of Voldemort's secret location would have disappeared forever." He removed a cord from around his neck, a cord connected to the bottle Yaxley gave him three years ago. Inside was the memory of Voldemort's secret location, the last clue Potter would need to destroy his parents' murderer. Draco pressed the vial into Ginny's hands. "I suppose giving this to you might be for the best. You can get this to Potter. He could end things right now if he had this memory."

Ginny took the vial and placed the cord around her neck, making sure that the bottle containing Yaxley's memory was concealed from prying eyes. "I'll get this to Harry," she promised. "Now, could you please tell me why you chose to become Voldemort? Of all the things you could do, you chose the worst possible thing." She scoffed. "Becoming Voldemort! Exactly what were you thinking when you decided that? What if Harry killed you?"

_Of course she had to ask a question like that_, Draco realized. _She's still friends with Potter. Sometimes I wonder why Ginny loves me and not the Boy-Wonder. Throughout her younger years, she always did have a certain fascination with the boy-who-lived. Wonder what changed. _He shrugged. Now was not the time for thinking of such things; Draco needed to make sure that Ginny understood what was going on. In order for them to be together, Voldemort's destruction was necessary. As much as it pained him to admit it, Draco needed Potter's help in order to finish this. Ginny was the key to that; she could get his message back to Potter and ensure that the darkest wizard since Grindlewald was destroyed.

"Ginny, I did what I thought was right," Draco replied. "Your family, as I have said before, is full of blood-traitors. They would surely be killed if Voldemort were to succeed in killing Potter. Anyone who wasn't loyal to Voldemort…or not a Pureblood would surely be killed. In doing this, I protected you and those you cared about, as much as I hate them." He grinned. "And besides, I was able to use the Voldemort name to my own advantage. Though my father, until his death, was Voldemort's right hand man, I doubt anyone would ever consider cowering in fear upon hearing the name Lord Draco Malfoy." He chuckled at the thought. Though he was capable of doing so in school, the fear he was able to instill into the hearts of his peers only lasted until he started dating Ginny. After that, things changed quite considerably. Draco Malfoy found himself softening slightly for the Weaselette, therefore making him less scary to the Hogwarts students.

"Malfoy!" Ginny chided, slapping him in the arm.

Draco feigned hurt. "Surely you don't _mean_ that."

"Of course I do!" Ginny exclaimed. "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," she recited. "Or don't you remember that? If even you want Voldemort gone, you shouldn't be using that name. Even if it was to protect people, you should never have used _that_ name."

"And once you get that memory to Potter, he can destroy Voldemort and things can get to the way we want them," Draco reminded her, flicking his fingers towards the vial around her neck. "Just get that thing to Potter and then we'll worry about getting you out of your engagement."

"Don't remind me," Ginny grumbled.

Draco put an arm around her shoulder and kept her close, both for comfort and safety. He knew that Ginny could defend herself, but without her wand she was defenseless. As for the comfort, she would need all she could get if Weasel King and Dunderhead Diggory seemed intent on having Ginny become a Diggory; especially when it was against her wishes. He had seen many a loveless marriage—his parents' included—and knew that if a marriage was to survive, both parties needed to love the other. In this instance, this was not the case and any marriage that came of it would only result in despair, at least on Ginny's part.

As they were walking, Draco felt Ginny slipping from his grasp. Wondering what happened, Draco looked down, only to watch as Ginny disappeared in a hole that appeared in the earth. The hole began to shrink and it was clear that Draco had to act fast to save Ginny. He grabbed a thick green vine and, holding it tightly, jumped into the hole after Ginny. _The Shadow Pit_, he realized. _Once it seals itself, all who fell victim to it will be lost forever._ Based on the pit's size, Draco only had three minutes to find Ginny and escape, else lose their lives once the pit sealed. A few seconds passed before Draco caught sight of Ginny; she was dangling from a branch, her fist clenched tightly around it.

Draco stopped his descent with a simple motion of his hand; when the transformation into Voldemort took place, Yaxley neglected to mention to the younger man that it also endowed him with Voldemort's power. For that, Draco was grateful. Some of them helped in keeping Ginny safe. If not for those powers, there was a good chance that Ginny could be dead. "Weasel," he said in front of Ginny, "Grab hold. We're getting out of here." Wordlessly, Ginny grabbed hold of his robes, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "We don't have much time to get out of here," he informed her as they—or rather he—climbed up the vine, "and I'm not sure how long climbing back out of here will take."

"Just levitate me out," Ginny suggested.

"And risk dropping you? No way!" Draco shot back.

"Just a suggestion," Ginny said defensively.

Draco continued climbing, getting a past the halfway point before realizing the shrinking size of the hole he needed to get through. He removed his wand and groaned, unsure if Ginny's idea would work. "_Mobilicorpus!_" Draco yelled, pointing his wand at Ginny and sending her up through the shrinking hole. To his surprise, her idea worked. Once she was safely on solid ground, he called up to her. "Pull the vine! The hole is shrinking and, by my estimation, we only have fifty seconds. You really could lose me forever if you don't."

Those seemed to be the magic words as the vine he had a tight grip on started moving. _She really doesn't want to lose me_, he mused. _Losing me, this time for good, would tear her apart. _

Ginny's strength—seeming boosted by her unwillingness to lose him—brought Draco up through the hole. Problem was that he only got halfway through. "Ginny pull!" he demanded. "If you don't want me to be stuck here, I suggest that you pull me out of here."

"I'm trying," Ginny insisted.

"Well, try harder!" Draco demanded.

Draco felt a sharp tugging on his arms as Ginny attempted to pull him out of the hole he know found himself stuck in. He tightly grabbed Ginny's wrists as she pulled on him. She let go for a moment and looked at Draco. "I have an idea," she explained, cutting the vine that Draco held onto when going to get her. As the vine slid back into the hole, Ginny grabbed hold of Draco again; this time she was more successful in helping him out.

Once Draco was pulled out of the hole, he landed on top of Ginny. He smirked and kissed her before getting up, pulling her up right along with him. "Thanks Ginny. Now, come on; we need to find a safe place to stay until Diggory decides to give up in his search," Draco explained.

"Must we really stay here?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so," he replied. Draco understood the girl's concern, particularly after everything that happened so far while they were in Inferno Valley. However, if they were to leave, there was no telling as to what might happen; in fact, there was a very distinct possibility of Cedric coming after them. No, they had to stay here for the moment, just until he was sure that Cedric wouldn't go after Ginny again. Even if it seemed unsafe at the moment, it was their only option. Draco wrapped an arm around Ginny. "I wouldn't worry; we'll make it through."

"How though?" Ginny asked.

"Well, think about it," Draco replied. "We've already survived some of the worst things that Inferno Valley could through at us; the Inferi and the Shadows Pits. I truly doubt there's much worse we could face."

"Not unless it's you," Ginny mumbled.

Draco eyed her. "What do you mean by _that_?"

"The only thing I ever heard about Inferno Valley was that hippogriffs could be found here," Ginny explained. She looked fearfully at him, her brown eyes sparkling with worry.

Draco waved off her concern. He was confident that nothing would happen to either of them now that they'd dealt with the Inferi and the Shadow Pit. It was with absolute certainty that nothing more could threaten to keep them apart. "I truly doubt that your concern is well-placed. After all, what are the chances of something like _that_ happening again?"

"Actually, the chances are pretty good," Ginny muttered.

"In what way?" he asked.

"Did you ever hear how Sirius Black escaped Hogwarts after Snape caught him?" Ginny asked. Draco shook his head. "Well, you can thank Harry and Hermione for that; they used Hermione's time turner to rescue him from the Dementor's Kiss he never deserved. And, to aid them in their rescue, they saved another; someone you all but sentenced to death." Draco's eyes widened at that admission, knowing exactly what she was referring to. "Yes, Draco, Buckbeak is alive, even after all that you did to get him killed; all merely because he bit you after you provoked him. You know, it's too bad Hermione punched you that year-" Draco grimaced at the memory, "-otherwise you might have known that Sirius and Buckbeak escaped and went into hiding after that. They've been in hiding ever since."

"Your point Ginny?" he asked.

"Draco, for all we know, Sirius and Buckbeak came upon other hippogriffs. And, that would be most unfortunate for you since Buckbeak will only have nasty things to say about you whereas with Harry, it's nothing but nice things. If they were ever in Inferno Valley, you're in danger. The hippogriffs will surely go after you if this is the case. Draco, your mistake in third year—in Hagrid's first class—could ultimately cost you your life."

"I doubt it will happen again," Draco assured her.

"But, it _could_," Ginny countered.

"What are the chances?" he repeated. Before Ginny could answer his question, a large creature pounced on Draco, knocking him down. When he saw the eagle and horse body parts, he knew Ginny to be right. _Bloody Hell! She was right_, he thought as he tried to fight the hippogriff off him. He felt the hippogriff attack his right shoulder and knew for sure that Buckbeak was responsible. "Ginny, don't dare say a word. Now, get over here and help me."

"I'm coming. I'm coming. Baby!" she muttered.

"What was that?" Draco asked.

"Nothing," she said in a sing-song voice.

"You better not have said anything!" Draco growled as he continued to fight off the hippogriff. "Otherwise, I will simply leave you here for Diggory to find. As much as I love you, I have no qualms about leaving you here if you insist on bringing up bad memories." Ginny paled and shut up, clearly not wanting to get subjected to the fiancé from hell. _Now to focus on getting rid of this hippogriff so we can get out of here. I don't think Ginny can take much more of this. _Draco pushed the hippogriff off him and pulled his wand out. "_Stupefy!_" The hippogriff collapsed and Draco, holding his shoulder, walked over to Ginny. "As I said before, keep your mouth shut. I don't want any reminders of what happened third year; I know I'm the cause of this. Now, come on; we need to get going."

With his injured shoulder, Ginny helped Draco along. "I knew that would happen," she informed him. "I wonder if that was Buckbeak. No one's heard anything of Sirius in almost a decade."

"How come?" Draco asked. Recalling what he did to Pettigrew, Sirius should have made it back to see his godson. Draco made absolutely sure of the fact that Pettigrew was punished for what happened in the days after the Potters' deaths. Pettigrew was _supposed_ to be dead, the only remnant of his body being a finger. But, he was found to be alive and hidden within Voldemort's camp. Though he never would have done it in the past, Draco had Pettigrew sent to Azkaban in order to clear Sirius's name. Pettigrew was a nuisance and needed to be rid of. So, the second Pettigrew transformed, Draco trapped him like the rat that he was and sent him off with a note to the Ministry stating that their captive was an animagus and the real man who betrayed the Potters. A few days later, Draco got word that his mother's cousin was no longer a fugitive and that he was free to return home. Draco expected that Sirius would go try to spend some time with Potter, but it seemed as if that was not what happened. "Sirius is no longer a fugitive. I made sure that Pettigrew was in Azkaban."

"_You _put Scabbers in prison?" Ginny asked.

"Scabbers? You mean your brother's idiot rat?" Draco queried.

"The one and only," Ginny shrugged. "Sirius never escaped Azkaban to come after Harry that year; he came for Scabbers, to get revenge for what happened in the days after the Potters' deaths. You did Sirius—and Harry—a favor when you sent Pettigrew to Azkaban."

"Pure coincidence," Draco grimaced. "Sirius, Aunt Andromeda, and Tonks are the only family I have left; the only ones that may not shun me for what happened. I helped Sirius because Pettigrew gave me the creeps and, once I was in a position to get rid of him, I did. The fact that Potter is Sirius's godson completely slipped my mind. I didn't do it for him."

"But, you still did it," Ginny objected.

"Not for him. So, you might wish to inform Potter that his godfather can no longer get persecuted for what happened twenty-two years ago. I doubt Potter even knows what I did to get his godfather off," Draco grumbled. And, not like Potter would ever thank him for what he did; they would always be enemies. Even if Ginny was friends with Potter, there was no way that Draco would do the same; and even Potter's association with only members of the Black family that might accept Draco after everything that happened to him.

"I'll let him know," Ginny replied.

The pair continued walking for ten more minutes before reaching the edge of Inferno Valley. Light began streaming around them and Draco allowed his illuminated wand to grow dark. "_Nox_." He shrugged and tightly wrapped an arm around Ginny, making sure nothing happened to her. "We're out of there, Weasel. You're putting yourself in even more danger here by being out in the open, but, as you requested, we're out of Inferno Valley."

Ginny nodded. "Thank you, ferret."

"Yes, thank you, _ferret_," came a new voice.

"Bloody hell!" Ginny swore.

There was no need for Draco to even look at who stood in front of him. It was the one person he wanted to come nowhere near Ginny; the person who had an unhealthy obsession with a woman who could never love him. "Hello Diggory," Draco sneered, his arm wrapped protectively around Ginny. She leaned in close, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Let the girl go!" Diggory declared.

"She has no wish to go with you!" Draco shouted. "I know what she told you, Diggory; _her heart belongs to another_. Well, I'll have you know that her heart belongs to me; I've had it for six years now." He grasped Ginny's hand tightly. "I'm not about to lose her again!"

"Of course you will. She is _my _fiancée!" Cedric announced jubilantly.

"But, not your true love!" Draco barked. "_That_ honor belongs to me and me alone." Diggory, it seemed, had changed a lot since his days at Hogwarts. It was not for the better either. _And, to think, I actually cheered for that guy to win over Potter. Come to think of it, that's what caused me to turn into that ferret. Well, that and my hatred of Potter._ Draco glared at Diggory, wondering why he'd ever want to marry Ginny; he had millions of adoring fans—much like Draco himself—yet he chose the one person who could not love.

"You don't really matter, do you?" Cedric snickered. "Ginerva won't be marrying _you_; she agreed at the last Quidditch World Cup that she would marry me and I am not about to let her break the engagement. And, if I recall, you were never very nice to her family. You would not get along with her family the way I have. Now, come along, Ginny. We need to get back.

Ginny made no move towards Cedric, but rather squeezed tightly on Draco's hand. He nodded and shouted at Diggory. "The only reason she ever agreed to marrying you was because there were millions of Quidditch spectators around at the time. And, as for why the engagement is still in place, that is because Ronald Weasley refuses to allow his younger sister live her own life, merely because her choices don't correlate with what _he _wants for his younger sister. I can learn to get along with all the Weasleys except for him. I mean, I could even learn to get along with that Ministry prat-oh what's his name? Perry, I think-,"

"Percy," Ginny corrected.

"Yeah, him. Anyway, Ron and my Aunt Bella—who will be dealt with—are the only ones standing in my way of true love, of my happiness." Draco's silver eyes settled on the red-head beside him. "I will not lose her and nothing you say or do can keep me from her."

Cedric grunted and pulled out his wand, pointing it directly at Draco, clearly ready to attack. He was about to curse Draco when Ginny stepped in front of him, barring Cedric from attacking Draco as was the intent. The look on her face was one that Draco had not seen since she first confronted him five and a half years ago regarding his feelings for her. "Promise me!" she yelled. "Promise me that nothing will happen to him should I agree to go with you."

Draco turned to face her. "Excuse me?"

"I have to do this, ferret," Ginny muttered quietly. "If I don't, I lose you again. Thanks to Bellatrix and Ron, I spent the past five years mourning. I can't go through that again. I need to know that you'll be around, in some form, to help me." She wrapped her arms around Draco. "I'm sorry."

"You can't do this, Ginny," Draco insisted.

"I have to," she whispered. "I love you and don't want to lose you." Ginny turned back to Cedric and Draco wondered what she had planned. _She better not mention that Voldemort thing. I told her in confidence what I've been doing and I can't very well trust Diggory with any of this. Ginny I can. Even Potter. But, not Diggory. No, I refuse to let him in on my little secret. Don't tell him, Ginny. Tell the idiot anything but the truth._ Draco pulled himself from his head and focused his attention on the conversation that ensued between the girl he loved and the man she didn't want to marry. "Cedric, I'll only agree to go with you if Draco is returned to the ship that awaits him out at the cove. He has important work to do, work that cannot be delayed any more than it was when he came to rescue me." Her hand went to her neck as she said this and Draco knew she was clutching the vial; the vial he wished her to get to Potter. _She told him without telling him. Thank you, Ginny._

Cedric nodded. "I'll see to it that it is done."

"Thank you," Ginny replied, her voice somber. She left Draco's side and sadly climbed onto Cedric's broom, waving a final goodbye to Draco as she and Cedric sped off in the distance.

As soon as Ginny was gone from sight, Draco returned his attention to Cedric's companion. Draco eyed the man, knowing something was very wrong; he could simply sense it. Silver eyes examined the man before him before settling on his hands. On the man's left hand were six fingers. _Blaise! _As his friend and the only one truly willing to protect Ginny during her kidnapping, Draco had not forgotten what was done and would do what he could to help his friend. The man in front of him was the very same man who killed Blaise's father. _Seems as if I better go find him. If he spent twelve years searching for this man, he'll want to know where he is. And, I should probably tell him I'm alive and thank him for trying to protect Ginny._

"What's _your _problem?" the man asked.

Draco smirked, falling back on his usual expression. "I was just admiring that rather interesting extra appendage you have there on your left hand. Someone's been looking for you, you know." The man paled considerably at Draco's discovery and struck a strategically placed blow to Draco's head. As Draco slipped into unconsciousness, his last thought was on Ginny. _Whatever happens, I will come back after you. I'm not going to let you marry Cedric._

* * *

**Author's Note: Leave a review.**


	9. Inescapable Fates

**Chapter 9: Inescapable Fates**

Draco had a difficult time opening his eyes; they felt heavy, like a ton of bricks. It took a few tries, but his silver eyes flickered open. Moving was another story entirely. His body was strapped down, making it impossible for him to move. _What was that about? _Draco wondered as he struggled to move. _Last thing I remember, I was attempting to confront the man who killed Blaise's father. What was it afterwards?_ Something set the man off, threw him into a frenzy. Whatever it was that caused all of this, Draco seemed too dangerous to keep around, especially if the promise Cedric made to Ginny was broken in order to do this.

It seemed as if no one knew of the extra appendage on his left hand. And, if he was a Slytherin, that would also make him a Pureblood. Not many Slytherins weren't Purebloods; there was Snape and Voldemort himself, but that was all that was ever made public knowledge. In Slytherin, they were known for their blood purity, which usually meant inbreeding to ensure that the blood was pure. After years of being around Granger, Draco heard about a number of effects caused by the inbreeding; birth defects, increased chances of miscarriage, and the like. Clearly, Cedric's companion was one such victim of the inbreeding; it was nothing too extreme however. The six-fingered man's defect was small enough to conceal so that no one knew the truth. But, now that Draco knew, he seemed too dangerous to keep around.

Even worse still, Draco was sure he knew who Cedric's companion was. He only met the man a few times, but Draco was certain that it was the same guy. Despite having known his daughter all throughout Hogwarts, Draco only met Mr. Parkinson a handful of times. And, it seemed as if the Parkinson patriarch—the man whom Cedric now associated himself with—had a hand in the murder of Blaise's father. _Does Pansy know what her father did? And, what of Blaise? Is he aware that he went to school with the daughter of his father's murderer?_ Based on Blaise's attitude towards Pansy during school and the fact that there was no animosity between the two, Draco came to realize that his closest friend seemed utterly clueless as to the truth. _He's going to flip when he realized what Parkinson did. _

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw an oak door open, allowing a sliver of light to be let into the dark chamber where he was being held. A dark figure approached him slowly and Draco knew he was in trouble. _This is not going to end well. I know it won't. Something terrible is going to happen if I don't get out of here. _Once again, Draco struggled to free himself from his restraints. "That will not help," a cold voice called out. "Those are magic restraints and, I can assure you, are incapable of being broken. You are stuck here, my friend, for the rest of your life. And, _that_, I assure you, will not be very long."

"I _will_ escape!" Draco fired back. "And, when I do, you, Parkinson, and Diggory, will pay." Draco was sure that Cedric had no intention of sending him back where he came from. Cedric seemed to suspect that Ginny might try to call off the wedding, especially now that she knew Draco was alive. And, Draco knew she would; he was sure that Ginny would no longer sit idly by as her family planned the wedding she didn't want. There was no way that Diggory would ever allow that to happen. _That_ was the only reason Draco was down here.

"No, you won't," the figure insisted. "No one can escape."

"So, I'm stuck here then?" Draco questioned.

The figure nodded as he approached and pressed an antibiotic-filled sponge onto the shoulder injury Draco sustained from the hippogriff they met while they were in Inferno Valley. "Afraid so. Very few people have knowledge of this place. No one can come down here to save you." As the sponge was pressed the injury, a jolt of pain went through Draco's body. "Regarding your treatment, it's been ordered that your injury not be healed by magical means; Parkinson wants you to feel pain for as long as possible before the real torture begins. He wants you healed before that can occur." Another sponge was pressed over the injury causing Draco to gasp out in excruciating pain. This process was repeated three more times before the figure retreated to the door. "No matter what you may think, you're stuck down here until the day you die. There is no escape. It will not be long before you are dead."

Draco grunted as he was left alone in the darkness. "That door is probably locked. And, since I don't see my wand anywhere, it seems I'm stuck down here. I have to find some way to get out of here."

***

After her encounter with Draco in Inferno Valley a few days before, Ginny could hardly stand being around Ron or Cedric. She had barely even done so beforehand, but now it had become near impossible. Cedric ripped her away from her happiness, from the life she wanted. Ginny once heard of a phrase that could apply to her current situation: if you love someone enough, let them go. Based on how determined Cedric was in getting her back, Ginny was quite sure that Cedric never heard of this particular adage. If Cedric loved her enough, he would have allowed her to fly free, to return to the man she loved so much.

However, even if Cedric let go, Ron's over-protectiveness might continue to keep Ginny away from Draco. When it was first revealed that Ginny and Draco were dating, Ron was beyond outraged. Nothing short of the couple breaking up could console Ronald Weasley regarding the news of this particular relationship. The news of Draco's "death" was a cause for celebration in Ron's eyes. Her older brother simply could not understand how much it hurt to lose Draco. For this reason, Ginny kept the news of Draco being alive to herself. The longer she could delay Ron's inevitable discovery, the more time she had to plan on how to handle her brother when Draco stepped through the door to stop the wedding.

Ginny had no doubts that Draco would _once again_ come rescue her. After the events in Inferno Valley, she was quite sure that he'd never just abandon her. _He went through so much to get me back. Of course he'll stop the wedding. I'll have nothing to worry about so long as Draco comes to get me._ And, knowing that gave Ginny some comfort as her mother, Mrs. Diggory, and Cedric—why even Ron—planned a future Ginny refused to be a part of.

_"Unfortunately, things did not work out as Ginny or Draco expected," the mother explained. "Despite Ginny's hope that the boy she held so dear to her heart would come save her, it did not happen. She lost that chance two days later when Ron forced his younger sister into marrying Cedric. He noticed how happy Ginny had been since returning from Inferno Valley and mistook that happiness as being directed towards Cedric."_

A forlorn Ginny arrived at Quidditch practice the day after her wedding. A large diamond ring—proof of her newlywed status, though Ginny thought of it more as a sentence to Azkaban—now rested on her fourth finger. She stared at it with despondency. _Ferret, why did you not come for me? You promised you would. All I have are broken promises._ Ginny looked out at the Pitch where her teammates—new husband included—awaited her arrival. There was to be one more practice before she and Cedric went off on their honeymoon. And so, for the first time of many, Ginny walked out onto the Pitch as the new Mrs. Diggory.

_  
"No!" Buttercup yelled angrily. _

_"What is it?" her mother asked._

_Buttercup glared at her mother, silver eyes ablaze. "Mother, you can't be serious. Why would she marry Cedric after everything that happened at Inferno Valley? She found Draco and would sooner marry him than Cedric." When the part about Draco's death was read to her, Buttercup expected that she would not enjoy the story as much seeing as the two lovers were torn apart due to the unforeseen complications that arose when Draco went out to seek his fortune. Learning of the man in black's identity—it being the endearing Draco Malfoy—brought comfort to the girl. The two had another shot at love. Ginny's marriage to Cedric brought forth yet another complication for the pair; one that might not be so easy to handle as their last predicament, seeing as Cedric would never call for a divorce. _

_The elder woman looked down on her daughter, a grim expression apparent. "Buttercup, sometimes things don't work out the way you want. Take a look at Harry Potter. He lost his parents because some deranged maniac felt he was a threat. As much as Harry wanted a family who would care about him, it simply did not happen. I'm sure you think that cruel, but that's just the way life is. You don't always get what you want. Life isn't fair. You must know that if you wish to get on with your life. I want you to understand that, Buttercup."_

_"Yes, yes, I get that. But, please don't say things that I know aren't true," Buttercup pleaded. "Ginny would never marry Cedric, whether Draco was alive or dead; she hates the man far too much. Plus, she promised to never love anyone other than Draco. I'm telling you, Mum; it would never happen. Ginerva Molly Weasley would never do anything that would break her vow. Ron Weasley's hatred of the boy she loved would never cause Ginny to give up that which held most dear." Buttercup eyed her mother. "She's far too stubborn to ever give up her love for her brother's happiness. Now, tell it right!"_

_The girl's mother huffed in frustration, a pair of stern brown eyes looking down on her eleven year-old daughter. "Buttercup, do you _want_ me to finish this story?" she asked her. _

_"You know I do," Buttercup retorted. _

_"Then, I suggest you remain silent for the rest of the story," her mother scolded. "For I will not finish the story if you continue to interrupt. I have mentioned to you countless times throughout the evening that your father is intent on you hearing this story. I will leave things as is if you do not keep quiet." Buttercup nodded solemnly. "Good. I'm glad to hear it. And so, for the first time of many, Ginny walked out onto the Pitch as the new Mrs. Diggory…"_

Ginny, as she walked out to join her teammates, could see the swelling pride on her new husband's face. _Oh, yes, that's nice. Cedric's happy. What about my happiness? What about my love?_ Cedric took her hand. "_Sonorus!_" he said. Cedric's next words came at such a volume that Ginny's wanted nothing more than to cover ears. Unfortunately, her husband still had a tight grip on her hand. "I want everyone to know that I just married the most beautiful woman in the world: Ginerva Molly Diggory (née Weasley). And that I love her with every fiber of my being."

Everyone who came to the day's practice—their teammates and the owner, Mr. Parkinson—cheered at Cedric's announcement. And, with that, everyone mounted their brooms. As Ginny passed the Quaffle, she saw a lone figure in the stands, dark-haired man she knew she recognized. Waiting until practice ended—and Cedric was in the locker room changing—Ginny approached the man, whom she recognized as one Blaise Zabini; the very same man who attempted to help her. "Blaise, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"What am _I _doing here?" he asked with a growl. Blaise left the stage and advanced upon the young wife, a frown on his face. "What _am I_ doing here? Well, there's always the fact that I protected you that day. Of course, we could always go with the fact that Draco is _alive_, yet you marry another; and this is even after all I did to keep you safe because Draco asked me to. So, what are you doing married to that dunce Diggory? Draco is alive! Go to him. If he is your true love as you so claim, why are you married to another and not my best friend?"

"He would have been killed, Blaise!" the young woman yelled. Did Blaise not understand that she was under duress when she made the determination on the edge of Inferno Valley? Cedric would surely have killed Draco if Ginny did not step in to save his life. As much as she wanted Draco to be with her, a part of her knew that it would never be. Her only choice was to give up the boy she loved so dearly in order to save him from the death he might receive for all that happened. If you love someone enough, let them go. Well, Ginny loved Draco enough to let him go. The only way to save him was to marry another.

"That may be true, but it never stopped you before!" Blaise shouted. "Everyone, yourself included, thought my best friend died that day five years ago. And, because of it, you swore never to love again." The man scoffed at Ginny as she stood there staring at the witch. "Clearly, that promise meant nothing to you because of your recent marriage to the Diggory dork. I doubt Draco will not take too kindly to the fact that his true love married another." With that, Blaise Zabini apparated away from the Quidditch Pitch the Harpies used for their practices, to where Ginny could only assume would be Draco. Ginny, seeing him leave, fell to her knees in tears. It was here that Cedric found his new wife, crying over a lost love. _What have I done?_ she asked herself, her head in her hands. _How could I have married that ignoramus when my heart belongs to another, when I love Draco?_

* * *

**Author's Note: This chapter was rather difficult for me to write; mostly it was Ginny's half of the chapter that gave me trouble. I wasn't sure how wanted to write this.**

**Leave a review. **


	10. When All Else Fails

**Chapter 10: When All Else Fails**

Things got exceedingly worse for Ginny when she and Cedric arrived home. Draco Malfoy stood there waiting for her. His piercing silver eyes bore into her brown ones and Ginny knew she was in trouble. _Blaise told him! _Ginny knew. "If you don't mind, Diggory, I'd like to speak with your wife," Draco said. "I have something important I must discuss with her."

"Make it quick," Cedric growled.

The two were left alone and Ginny was accosted by the man she still loved. "Weasel, what were you thinking when you married that oaf?" he demanded, walking towards Ginny and gripping her shoulders tightly, making it so she couldn't escape as he questioned her. "I told you I'd come get you, that I would rescue you from the engagement we both know you didn't want. How could you have married him before I had the chance to come get you?"

"I did not want you to die," she sobbed. "It was all I could do to save you from suffering the fate I thought you suffered five years ago. You know I don't ever want that to happen again."

"Too bad it's going to," a voice called.

Before Ginny could react to the outcry, the two words she dreaded to hear were uttered and a bright green light flashed before her eyes. Draco's soulless body dropped into her arms. "No!" she yelled.

Ginny shot up from her bed, tears in her eyes. Nightmares plagued her since Inferno Valley and this was the worst one yet. This was the only one that ended with Draco's death, something she feared above reproach. "I can't do this," she muttered, grabbing her wand.

_"See, Mum," Buttercup glowered. "I told you that Ginny would willingly never marry Cedric. Just because Ron insisted that it occur does not meant that Ginny would agree to his terms. She loves Draco far too much to ever agree to anything Ron says; especially when it does not involve the boy she has loved since she was sixteen. " Buttercup wanted nothing more than to see Ginny and Draco together. She would stand for nothing less than seeing them as a couple. After everything they had gone through, from their turbulent years at Hogwarts to their five-year separation, Draco and Ginny deserved to have at least some happiness. They deserved to be together, making their own happiness come true._

_"Yes, yes, you're so clever," her mother muttered. "Now, what did I tell you about interrupting me again? I warned you not to do so; else you'll go to school without knowing the full story. _

_ "Mum, no!" Buttercup yelled. "Finish the story."_

_"Keep quiet then," the elder woman scolded. _

_"Yes, Mum," the girl replied sullenly._

Her wand in hand, Ginny apparated out to Cedric's home, intent on speaking her piece on the situation that seemed out of her control since the day it first surfaced in her life. Ginny suffered far too long with these nightmares and it could go on no longer; merely in order to keep the nightmares at bay, she needed Draco at her side. It made been a month since the events of Inferno Valley—since she last saw the boy she loved—and it was getting even harder to bare. Even worse than Draco's absence from her life was the fact there were only two weeks until the wedding, her last two weeks as a free woman. In two weeks time, she would be Mrs. Ginny Diggory and would lose Draco forever. It simply couldn't happen.

To make matters worse, no one supported her decision, not even Hermione who had been a friend to her since Hogwarts. She was alone in her conviction to stop her impending marriage to Cedric and irrevocably tarnish his image as she returned to Draco. No one truly understood how Ginny felt in respect to Draco's "death." They all pushed it aside, doing nothing for Ginny as she grieved. And, keeping the fact that Draco was alive and well hidden—known only to herself—didn't really help all that much. But, until Voldemort's destruction, this was really all Ginny could do to protect the man she loved. He played a part in what happened and, although it was done in an attempt to stop the madness the megalomaniac caused, the Ministry would still try prosecuting him for all the terror caused.

Ginny's only hope was that Harry would find and kill Voldemort so that she could reveal her source and have Draco declared a hero for his part in helping Harry destroy Voldemort. Maybe then, if this confrontation with Cedric did not work, Ginny might be able to break off her engagement on her own. _I can't do it. It can't end with my marriage to Cedric. _No one understood what it was like for her growing up, not even her brothers. Ginny Weasley was the first girl born to any Weasley in generations. From the beginning, it set her apart from the rest, simply because she had much more to prove than anyone else. That was why Draco held such a special place in her heart. While everyone she knew kept their distance from the Malfoy heir, Ginny chose to approach the cold teen and was able to do what no one before her was capable of; she was able to warm the Slytherin Prince's frozen heart and bring him to the light side where he would oppose his father's views on the world.

Of course now, after all that Ginny had accomplished, one man—whom she remembered to have once been a humble person—blocked her on the road to happiness, from Draco. _This has to end. _

Ginny stormed into her fiancé's study, letting the doors slam as she entered. "Cedric, you and my family have been planning this wedding with any input from me. Well, know this: should I be forced to follow through with a marriage—one I told you countless times that I want nothing to do with—I warn you this now; I shall turn my wand upon myself and see to it that you do not get what you want. I will not marry you so long as I love Draco. And, that it forever."

Cedric eyed his fiancée warily. "Are you sure?"

Ginny nodded defiantly. "I'd rather die than marry you."

"Fine," Cedric grimaced. "I had hoped that you might eventually come to love me, but it appears I was mistaken. We will end our engagement." Ginny smiled and was about to speak when Cedric continued, having walked over to the fireplace and pulling out the Floo powder. He threw some in and stuck his head in. "Parkinson, I require your assistance. There is a matter of great importance that must be dealt with imminently!" he called.

"And, what is that?" Parkinson asked.

"Malfoy? You sent him back, didn't you?" Cedric asked.

"I did. Why?" the man asked.

Cedric pulled his head out of the fire and turned to Ginny. "Are you sure that this is what you want?" he asked. "The way I remember things, you turned your back on him. What if he no longer wants you?"

"That would never happen," Ginny insisted. "He loves me too much."

"I'm not sure I believe that, Ginny. But, you will soon see that I am right. So, I will make a deal. I want you to write a letter to Draco explaining the situation. Parkinson and I will see to it that he gets your letter, as he is the only one who knows where Malfoy left for. Should he answer that he wants you back, good for you, if not I want you to think about the marriage," Cedric replied.

Ginny nodded, not really caring what Cedric had to say on the subject. She merely apparated away to speak with her sister-in-law; she needed Hermione's opinion on something, a way to ensure that her message reached Draco. The only Weasley daughter apparated to her brother's front step and rapped softly on the door. . The door opened and a bushy-haired brunette stood before her. "Hermione," she said. "I need your help with something."

"What do you need help with?" Hermione asked.

Upon being let in, Ginny gave her sister-in-law a quick rundown of what happened thus far. Knowing what the older woman's reaction would be, Ginny kept the fact that it was Draco who rescued her to herself. "I don't trust Cedric to get my message out to him, to get me out of this. Mione, I need a way to ensure that the person for whom this message is intended. Do you know of any way that I can be sure that he read it, after the message is sent off?"

"I don't know. I'd have to look," Hermione said.

"Right. And, while you find a way for me to help me with my situation, I need to compose this letter," Ginny said. "I'll be back when I've finished the letter. Then we can figure out a way to find out whether he read the message or not." Ginny bid goodbye to her sister-in-law and apparated home, intent on getting this letter written. This letter was her one chance at freedom. And, she was taking no chances at Draco not seeing the letter. Hermione's intellect would an asset here as she would help make it so that Ginny would know if Draco read the letter or not. If Draco did not read the letter, there would be hell to pay. Cedric would have to answer to Ginny about why he lied about sending the letter. Of course, _that_ was only if Draco never saw the message. She might not even have to deal with that as a possibility.

Before Ginny could even begin to compose her letter, a snowy owl came swooping in towards the Weasley girl. "Hedwig!" Ginny exclaimed as she reached for the note attached to the female owl's leg. She unfurled the note and went to figure out what Harry had to tell her.

**_Ginny,_**

**_I want to thank you for sending me that memory. Viewing the memory you returned with after being kidnapped helped immensely, making my job that much easier. The job is done. Voldemort is dead. He was hiding in an underground cavern near Godric's Hollow. The fool. It wasn't even protected by the Fidelius Charm. Apparently, that memory was the only security he needed, so there was no need to protect his hideaway from anyone. I'll tell everyone more when I return._**

**_Harry_**

Ginny grinned. The job was done. There was no more need for Draco to stay away from him, for him to continue masquerading as Lord Voldemort. _Does Ferret know? There may not be a reason for me to even write this letter anymore. _She groaned, realizing something as she did. _No, I think I have to. I need to write the letter to let him know of Harry's achievement, that the memory he gave me was what helped Harry destroy the darkest wizard in existence. _But, before penning that letter, Ginny sent a message off with Hedwig. The message Hedwig carried to Harry was rather short: three sentences, ten simple words.

**_It was Draco. He gave me the memory. Thank him._**

After sending that message off with Hedwig, Ginny prepared herself to compose her letter to Draco. This letter was crucial if Ginny wished for her life to turn out the way she wanted. Everything would only stay as it was if Draco read her letter and learned of recent events.

**_Dear Ferret, _**

**_There have been some recent developments in regards to our future. My engagement has ended, for reasons unknown, and we are free to go back to the way things were during Hogwarts. Your last year there was one of the happiest years of my life. It is time for that to continue._**

**_And, I have recently been informed that Voldemort is gone from this world. The fear that existed when we were students at Hogwarts no longer exists, all thanks to your help in securing his location. Our only remaining obstacle is my brother and I will see to it that he is not an issue. My brother—stubborn as he is—will soon learn that my happiness is what truly matters here, not his. This is my life and I want you to be a part of it. _**

**_Please return soon._**

**_Weasel._**

With the letter completed, Ginny grabbed it and apparated off to speak with Hermione about the plan to track the letter. Surely, Hermione had to have come up with a way to help her by now. Hermione was sitting out in the garden when Ginny arrived at their place. "I think I have a solution to your problem," her sister-in-law said. "I found something that might help."

"You did?" Ginny asked.

"I think so," the older woman replied.

"What can be done?" Ginny asked.

"Here. Hand me the letter," Hermione instructed. Ginny handed her sister-in-law the letter, wondering what would be done to determine if Draco ever read the letter. Hermione set the letter down on a nearby table and pulled out her wand. "_Gemino_." Ginny looked down to see two copies of her letter now resting on the table. Her wand tapped one copy of the letter and the ink became as red as blood. "This is your copy of the letter," Hermione explained, pointing to the letter written in red ink. "When the person you wish for this letter to go to reads it, the ink should change color. It should be green if the person read it."

"Okay," Ginny nodded, taking both letters and tucking them in her pocket. "Thank you, Hermione. I appreciate the help. And, can you tell Ron to keep his nose out of _my_ love life?"

"Uh, sure?" Hermione murmured.

"Great. Thanks," Ginny said before apparating away. The young woman reappeared at Cedric's place and handed him the black inked letter before returning home. She eventually collapsed into a chair after all that apparating to catch her breath. "I hope this works. I refuse to lose Draco again."

***

After burning the letter Ginny wrote to the _Ferret Boy_, Cedric summoned his broom and flew off to the Quidditch Pitch for a practice. _Maybe a quick flight will get my mind off of the fact that all my plans are going down the tubes because Ginny can't accept me. _Rather than flying straight towards the Pitch, Cedric dawdled by flying over Diagon Alley for awhile, trying to figure out what she saw in the prick. "I could have sworn that those two always hated each other; there was an animosity between the two families. I may have only been at Hogwarts their first few years, but I'm sure that they hated each other. Malfoy should have been no problem and I would have gotten my way. Nothing should have gone wrong."

Ever since Inferno Valley when he and Parkinson found Malfoy protecting Ginny, Cedric tried to make sense of what he saw. No matter how he tried, the former Hufflepuff could not figure out the reason for Malfoy's change of heart towards the lone Weasley girl. Coupled with Ginny's attitude towards love the only logical explanation was that they were in love. How that occurred was beyond Cedric's comprehension. But, despite it all, Cedric intended on keeping his bride-to-be away from her love. They would not have their happy ending.

Cedric landed at the Pitch to find Mr. Parkinson waiting for him. "Your call from earlier. What was that about?" the older man questioned. "I thought we went over that matter last month."

"We did," Cedric said. "However, my fiancée is under the impression that we sent him back. In order to appease her and keep her from questioning what happened after we left Inferno Valley, I had to make it appear as if we did as she asked. Only three people truly know what happened after that: the two of us and the man we have healing him. No one else knows that the Malfoy brat is hidden away, unable to stop his true love from marrying me. And, I have noticed that my fiancée kept the fact that he's alive to herself. It appears as if the girl does not wish for her brothers to know that he's around, which works to our advantage."

Parkinson nodded. "Why her though?"

"Who better," Cedric asked with a laugh, "than the only daughter of the biggest blood-traitors the Wizarding World has ever known? If I marry into the Weasley family, I can convert them to our side simply from being on the inside. We will have to get rid of the youngest brother and his mudblood wife, but _that_ will be no big loss. Anyone who opposes us dies."

Parkinson chuckled. "How did we not recruit you before?"

"It was not until the Tri-Wizard Tournament; the night of the third task that I realized my destiny. And now, eight years later, here I am. No one, not even Potter, knows that I am on your side, a Death Eater."

"What happened that night?" Parkinson asked.

"Ah, well, that _is_ quite a tale. Dumbledore once said that the maze changes a wizard. One could come out of the maze a very different person. While Potter came out, having seen the Dark Lord's rebirth, I came out as one of his followers, a spy. Cedric would never forget that day; it was the day he saw the light. _The maze was enormous. Hagrid did a good job with the maze, for Cedric could barely tell where he was going. Everyone had been within the maze at least ten minutes now with him and Harry having entered first. Even with the head start, Cedric found himself rather lost. He used a four-point spell to get his bearings and headed east, hoping it might lead to the Tri-Wizard Cup. It was not so much eternal glory that Cedric craved at moment; he simply wanted this tournament to end. _

_When his name came out of the Goblet of Fire, it came as no surprise. A part of him expected that his name would get pulled. But, it was Harry Potter's name coming out of the Goblet of Fire that troubled the Hufflepuff. At first, it seemed as if the young fourth year—the savior of the Wizarding World—was trying to steal some of his thunder as the Hogwarts champion and gain more fame because of his young age. In fact, so many people thought so—Draco Malfoy leading the pack—that Hogwarts students began wearing 'Potter Stinks' badges in support of Cedric, whom they referred to as 'the REAL Hogwarts champion.' _

_But, it soon became apparent that the eternal glory didn't matter to the fourth year. Not like it would for Viktor Krum or Fleur Delacour. Harry merely plodded through the tournament, almost making it seem easy. When Dumbledore mentioned how the maze changed a person, Cedric's gaze flickered to the youngest of the four contestants. Despite the relative ease in which the Gryffindor coasted through the competition, everyone involved—Cedric included—knew that Harry would face more than he could handle. It was likely that the savior of the Wizarding World might not make it to his fifteenth birthday. "If I can find him, I'll help him," Cedric decided. "I'd hate to see him die so young."_

_A few minutes went by before a red of red light could be seen far off in the distance. Cedric wondered which of his opponent gave up on the quest to the cup. "Hopefully, it's Harry," he said. _

_But, as time in the maze wore on, it soon became clear that it was Fleur. She was attacked and could not continue. This left the three boys as competitors and Cedric continued to worry for Harry's safety. Surely, he could not last much longer. Cedric only hoped he could reach the cup before anything happened to the young Gryffindor who, based on all that he had seen the past four years, seemed far too noble and giving for his own good._

_The Hufflepuff continued running through the maze, battling all the beasts he came up against. There was a foreboding silence surrounding him for a moment, but it did not last very long. A flash of green soon sent Cedric careening towards the light, wondering what happened. Green spells were usually the Killing Curse and Cedric suspected it was aimed for Harry. Cedric arrived at the scene to see Viktor and Harry facing off with one another, a rather peculiar thing for two Tri-Wizard champions to be doing. Viktor's eyes were glazed over, his pupils and irises no longer visible. They were pure white. "Harry!" Cedric called from his place a few feet away. "He's under the Imperius Curse." Cedric pointed his wand at the Durmstrang champion and Bulgarian Seeker. "Stupefy!" He turned to the young Gryffindor and smirked. "It's down to the two of us. See you at the cup, Potter!"_

_The two Hogwarts champions broke into a run, trying to reach the cup first. Cedric was at least three lengths ahead when he tripped got himself tangled in the vines and slowly got pulled into the maze. Harry ran by and he was getting pulled into the maze. "Harry! Help!"_

_Harry looked back, just as Cedric went under. "I can't."_

_"Why not?" Cedric questioned._

_"I can see the cup," Harry answered. "Cedric, I can finish this."_

_"And leave me here?" the Hufflepuff asked._

_"Sorry, Cedric," the Gryffindor said. _

_The dark-haired young man disappeared into the distance and Cedric was pulled into the maze. Surrounded by blackness, Cedric lay there as still as a board. He was not sure how long he had been there, but he knew that it was longer than it should have been. "Potter should have finished this by now. What the bloody hell is going on out there? Why is it taking so long for Harry to get hold of the cup and end this blasted tournament?" he wondered._

_"You know the reason," a voice whispered._

_"I do?" Cedric answered questionably._

_"Of course. Harry Potter does not care about you. After you saved him from the Durmstrang champion, he did not feel the need to do the same for you," the voice responded._

_"How do you know that?" Cedric asked._

_"I know of all that happened," the voice hissed._

_"Who are you?" Cedric asked the voice._

_"I am one who hates Harry Potter, much like you are becoming to do," the voice stated. "After all that has happened, you now find yourself hating the Potter brat for not coming to help you."_

_"Voldemort," Cedric muttered quietly. Only one person existed that would hate Harry to such a degree. That was Tom Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort; the wizard whom Harry destroyed thirteen years ago, thus saving the Wizarding World. "Why are you so willing to help me?"_

_"It looked as if you needed a friend," Voldemort hissed. _

_"Er, thanks," Cedric said._

Cedric would never forget that day, for when Harry did not help him, the Hufflepuff struck a deal with Lord Voldemort that he would seemingly would for the light side, but would secretly be providing information to the Death Eaters. Throughout the years, no one ever expected that Cedric would be the mole; everyone assumed that Snape was responsible. He was not however, and _that_ assumption would be the Order of Phoenix's downfall.

Mr. Parkinson grinned. "And, what of your plan to get rid of the Weasley daughter; how did that not work out? She was supposed to have died last month at the hand of whom was it: Goldstein?"

"_Supposed_ to is absolutely right. I ordered Goldstein to have her killed so that the Weasleys would join our side. He was supposed to have made it look as if Weasley's mudblood wife committed the crime, so as to give us a reason to get rid of them," Cedric growled. "It was Zabini who caused things to begin going downhill. Several weeks ago, I went to speak with Krum about what happened. Apparently, Zabini attempted to protect my fiancée from what happened to her. And, this was even while he was under the Imperius Curse, so I'm not exactly sure as to how he was even capable of helping her. But, in any case, Zabini's folly will force me to come up with a new way to rid myself of the Weasley daughter. No matter what, she's still a blood-traitor; her only use is securing her family's allegiance to the Dark Lord."

"Well, you better hope your plan works," Parkinson grumbled.

"It will," Cedric replied.

"Good." Parkinson walked over to one side of the Pitch, pressing his wand into a notch that was made in one of the hoops. The middle of the field opened up and revealed a staircase leading down under the Pitch. As he stood at the top of the staircase, the elder man turned to face his companion. "Cedric, would you care to watch as I deal with the traitorous whelp we hold captive? " Parkinson asked. "The Malfoy brat will pay for his attempt to help the Weasley girl and betraying the cause he was born into. I thought you might want to watch."

"No thanks," Cedric replied, his broom in hand. He mounted his broom and kicked off. "I came here only to fly. Watching Malfoy suffer is definitely not on the agenda, as much as I would probably enjoy it. Besides, I have much to worry about. The plan to cleanse the world of the mudbloods and half-bloods that frolic among us Purebloods is going on. Plus, I must also arrange to murder my wife; it is, after all, the only way to secure the Weasley family's allegiance to the Dark Lord. My fiancée-to-be must be killed so as to assure that our plan is not opposed; the Pureblood dominance will get brought to fruition."

Parkinson nodded. "Well, in that case, this is where I leave you."

As Parkinson disappeared into the underground cavern, Cedric continued flying his mind racing. There had to be a way to ensure that things finally went his way. He spent eight years trying to complete this plan of his, only to be foiled in the kidnapping aspect of the plan. Ginny's death was crucial. But, how was he to do it? How could he be sure that she died?

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh, yes. Cedric's the villain in this. As nice a guy as he is, I figured that, given the right motivation, Cedric could snap. Plus, as Dumbledore himself has said: "The maze changes a person."**

**Leave a review. **


	11. The Suffering of a Heart

**Chapter 11: The Suffering of a Heart**

Draco could not sure of how long he was held captive. For all he knew, Ginny's wedding could have already gone by and Draco would have lost the woman he loved for good. As much as he never cared to admit it when they were growing up, there was always a part of him that cared about Ginny. As the years passed, it became apparent that, no matter how hard he tried, Draco could never truly hate Ginny. The fiery Weasley girl had wormed her way into his heart and Draco wasn't about to let her go. She was too important to him.

With his current location however, Draco could do nothing for Ginny. He didn't exactly know where he was, meaning he could do nothing. Mostly, all he could do was reminisce about the days when he and Ginny were happy, those last few months of his seventh year. Draco just wished that he didn't wait to tell the Weaselette how much he loved her. But, he was in denial of his feelings, mostly because he knew that he'd get disowned for associating with blood-traitors.

After Draco chose his heart over his blood, getting captured by Voldemort surely would have spelled the end for him. Lucius stepping in to help him was something he never suspected would happen. But, it did and Draco was never more grateful for it. _Draco stood before the Dark Lord, trembling slightly. It seemed as if each curse he threw at the man did nothing to hurt him. On the other hand, most of the curses the Dark Lord threw his way made contact. Draco stood there trembling from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse; he doubted it would take much more to bring him down. He might be able to take one more curse before he fell._

_"**Mobilicorpus**!" Voldemort shouted, pointing his wand at Draco. The young blond felt his body whisk across the room, slamming into the opposing wall. Draco collapsed and had a difficult time getting up. "You made a mistake in coming here, boy. There is no way you can beat me in a duel. Why don't you just surrender now and _maybe_ I will spare your life?"_

_"No!" Draco yelled. _

_"Then you will die," Voldemort said simply._

_Draco slowly pushed himself up, his body throbbing in pain. To take his mind off the excruciating pain that coursed through his body, his thoughts drifted to Ginny and when he could get back to her. As much as he cared to deny it, Draco did love her. He spent years taunting her and her family only to realize that that he loved her. At the end of his sixth year, Draco went through a very rough time. His entire summer was spent trying to avoid the dark creatures that were held at Malfoy Manor. Draco made it to early August without incident. But, on August 4th, Draco found himself stuck in the forest with some very angry Minotaurs._

_The Malfoy scion spent a week held captive by the Minotaurs before Lucius and Narcissa found Draco. He closed himself off by that point, finding comfort in his own little world. For the next twelve hours, Draco Malfoy hid away in this world where he found comfort with a very familiar red-head. Draco came out of his coma-like state with a newfound respect for Ginny Weasley. And, as much as the Slytherin did not care to admit the truth to the Gryffindor, she found out anyway and helped him find his own path, a path separate from his father's. It was because Ginny that he was here; it was because of her that Draco decided to do something about the monster that kept them apart. He would not lose._

_"Why do you even bother getting up?" the Dark Lord questioned._

_"Because I cannot allow this to continue," Draco replied._

_"You think you have a choice?" he asked._

_"Of course I have a choice," Draco insisted, pulling himself to his feet. "And, I _am_ going to defeat you." He grabbed his wand and pointed it at Voldemort, poised to attack. "Expel-" _

_"**Expelliarmus**!" Voldemort finished. Draco's wand slid out of his hand and flew over to the Dark Lord. "You were saying. If I were you, I'd be begging for my life. You have no chance at escape. Only death." Draco remained silent, unwavering in his determination to see the Dark Lord destroyed. "You disappoint me, young Malfoy. I had hoped that you might join us after finishing Hogwarts. Seems as if I must get rid of you then. **Avada Kedavra**!"_

_As expected, a green jet of light came hurdling towards Draco. But, at the last second, one of the masked Death Eaters who was watching the duel stepped in front of the young Malfoy. Draco bent down to remove the mask, a part of him curious as to who would help him. He peered over at the body and gasped at the identity of his rescuer. "Father?" he asked._

_Voldemort grimaced. "Your father just gave you a reprieve, boy. You would do well to honor his sacrifice." He tossed Draco's hawthorn wand back towards him, which Draco grabbed and hid. "Lucius's death has spared you for the moment. But, do not think that you're in the clear. Should you do something stupid, you will be joining your father beyond the veil."_

_"I got it," Draco grumbled._

_"Good. Pettigrew, show our prisoner to his quarters and see to it that he is healed," Voldemort ordered. "And, ward his room to ensure that he does not escape. The boy might be of use now that his father is gone."_

For two years, Draco remained a constant fixture within the Death Eaters. And, those two years were utter torture for the young Malfoy scion. He couldn't stand being anywhere near Pettigrew. When Yaxley passed the mantle over to Draco, things began getting better, but it was still not to Draco's liking. Not being able to see Ginny bothered Draco. Their encounter at Inferno Valley was the first time he had seen her in five years, the first time that Draco Malfoy had truly been happy in a long time. Though she accused him of murdering himself—Bellatrix's unsuccessful ploy to keep her nephew within the Death Eaters—rescuing Ginny from her kidnappers was the first bright spot he had since leaving her at King's Cross.

Now, because he tried to keep her safe, Draco found himself in the worst possible position, held prisoner most likely to keep him from stopping Ginny's wedding. He lay there in darkness, unsure of when he might have anymore human contact. _I promised Weasel I'd get her out of this. How am I supposed to do that when I'm trapped down here?_

As he lay there, Draco heard a noise coming from his east, where he suspected the door to be. Footsteps closed in on him and it wasn't long before a dark shadow passed over him. "Well, well, well, Malfoy; I never thought I would see the day where you would deny your birthright to save a blood-traitor," a man snickered. "What would your parents say?"

Draco growled, shifting his gaze to the man who entered; the one man he didn't want to see. "Parkinson," he spat. "Tell me, does your daughter know that you killed the father to one of the people she's close to? Is she aware that you killed Enrico Zabini? And, as for my parents, that issue has been dealt with; my father is dead and I have not seen my mother in five years."

"Why does that concern you?" Parkinson queried, pacing the room. "I would have thought that you'd be more intent on learning where you are. Or perhaps you'd like to know how much longer you have before you lose Ginny Weasley forever. Either way, you will not get an answer. Nor will I ever tell you if I was the one to kill Enrico Zabini as you so claim I did."

"You don't need to answer!" Draco shouted. "I know you did."

"And, your friend will never find out," Parkinson chuckled. "Now, to deal with you. Malfoy, you messed with something that ought not be meddled in. Because of what you've done, I must keep you out of our hair until Diggory and I make absolutely certain that our plan works."

"Diggory?" Draco asked. "What does _he_ have to do with this?"

"It does not matter," Parkinson insisted.

But, Parkinson's vague response did not deter Draco from continuing to question the man. He saw through the deception and smirked. "Diggory's a Death Eater?" In all the years that Draco spent with the Death Eaters, there had been no word of Cedric Diggory being a Death Eater. That news through him for a loop. "Since when has he been a part of this?"

"What makes you think I'll answer you?" Parkinson spat. "I don't recall you ever being a Death Eater. Only Death Eaters have knowledge of this plan, and very few at that. So, I'm afraid you won't ever find out what's been going on. In fact, you're going to die; slowly and painfully, you shall be ripped from this world. And, I can assure you that you will never again be able to see the one you love ever again. At least not alive. You'll find her again beyond the veil."

"What are you planning?" Draco yelled.

"You'll never find out," Parkinson insisted.

"And, what do you intend on doing to me?" he asked.

"_That_ I will tell you," Parkinson grinned. "During my younger years, you see, I found a deep and abiding passion for torture. Not surprising I suppose for a Death Eater, but my passion for it went far beyond any normal Death Eater, even more so than your aunt Bellatrix. After Potter destroyed the Dark Lord, I made plans that would keep his work moving forward in his absence. Not even your father did that. Over the years, I made certain that those who opposed the Dark Lord were eliminated so that nothing would go wrong; Muggles, Mudbloods, blood traitors, even half-bloods; they will all be eliminated. And, now you will be one of them."

"You're going to torture me to death," Draco realized. Death never was anything all that scary to the young Malfoy. Of course, after being in the presence of Lord Voldemort—albeit an imposter—nothing Draco encountered after this point was ever going to be all that scary anymore. "Really? Well, I expected something far more sinister, far scarier from you."

"You're not scared?" Parkinson asked. Draco shook his head, rather determined in his stand. "You should be, young Malfoy. By the time I'm finished with you today, you'll be begging for death."

"I doubt _that_," Draco said defiantly.

"Oh, but you will," Parkinson grinned.

Draco shrugged. "We'll see."

"Yes," Parkinson said as he pulled his wand out. "We _will _see."

At the moment, Draco would have killed for super-strength. He could use that to escape his restraints and take Parkinson out of the equation. But, for the moment, all he could do was lay around. "It won't happen."

"Oh, but it will. _Crucio!_" Parkinson called.

At the cry of Parkinson's spell, Draco's body coursed in pain, his extremities throbbing. It was a good thing that he was strapped down; otherwise, Draco might have keeled over from the pain. There was no way that he could stand, even if he tried. "Why…arrre…you doing this?" Draco whimpered.

"At the moment, it's simply because you must be punished for what you did," Parkinson shrugged. "You've not only betrayed your family's ways, but started foiling our plans. Malfoy, I'm afraid you've done our cause a great disservice. And, for that, you must be punished."

"You're insane," Draco decreed.

"Too bad you can't do anything about it," Parkinson said with a chuckle. "You won't be getting out of those restraints, at least until you're dead. And again. _Crucio!_" Draco's body began shaking, seizing almost. He did this at least two more times before leaving the young Malfoy alone. "Draco, this is what you get for sticking their noses where they don't belong."

Parkinson slammed the door closed with a resounding bang as he left the room that was basically a prison cell for the young man and Draco was once again plunged in darkness. This time, however, he was suffering the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse rather than from hippogriff bite that pained him as it was before. "How am I supposed to get out of _this_?" Draco wondered, still shaking and still attempting to contain the throbbing pain from the torture inflicted upon him. The aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse—the trembling, the pain—were never a very pleasant experience. He struggled against his restraints for a few minutes before passing out from the exhaustion he experienced from having suffered through a very strong Cruciatus Curse. The last thought on his mind before passing out was a girl with flaming red hair and velvety brown eyes. "Ginny," he whispered.

***

Cedric sat in his study going over the plans for his wedding. It was to occur in ten days time and he would do anything in order to keep the plan in motion. While Parkinson kept Draco in pain, Cedric needed to ensure that his marriage to Ginerva Weasley went off without a hitch. Then, he would kill her, Ron, and the mudblood, thus enacting his true plan; the plan that would restore the Wizarding World to what it once was, the pinnacle of its glorious regime.

In just ten days time, Cedric and the rest of the Death Eaters would be able cleanse the world of its blood impurity and begin anew. And, he knew just how to do it too. Cedric stuck his head in the flames to speak with Bill Weasley. He had to plant a spark of doubt within the Weasleys regarding the wedding and what was to come. "What is it?" Bill asked.

"Weasley," Cedric began with a sigh, "I've been hearing rumors lately of Death Eaters planning on crashing the wedding. Should they succeed in their attempts, your sister—my future bride—will be killed." Bill gasped. "I know. And, any plan that will take Ginny away from us must be stopped. I am not about to let anything happen to the woman I love."

"Neither will I," Bill insisted.

"Then do what you can to keep your sister safe. Round up everyone you can in order to protect her," Cedric explained. _Then, I can kill everyone willing to side with Ginny, willing to protect her and oppose the greatest wizard in the world. No one will stop the cleansing._

Before Bill could respond, Cedric heard a pop and pulled his head out of the fire to see that Ginny had apparated into the study. "Cedric, I must ask if there has been any word from Draco yet."

"No, I'm afraid not," Cedric replied.

"Oh. Well, let me know," Ginny said.

"I will," Cedric said. Ginny disapparated and Cedric stuck his head back in the fire to continue speaking with Bill. "Ginny is the first girl born into the Weasley family in years. I realize that you want nothing to happen to her. Well, if you want to save her from suffering on her wedding day, you and your brothers must gather up everyone you know who is willing to protect Ginny and have them stationed just outside the Quidditch Pitch since that's where we'll be holding the wedding. They can stop anyone who might be a Death Eater from interrupting my wedding to your sister. It's all that can be done in order to keep her safe."

"I see," Bill said. "I'll see what I can do."

Cedric bid goodbye to his future brother-in-law and pulled his head from the fire. "Things are working out so well. And, in just ten days, I will have my way. I will get what I want."

***

After speaking with Cedric regarding the letter she sent out, Ginny apparated out to her brother's house. The charmed copy of the letter was in her pocket and the ink was still as red as blood. Despite Cedric's assurances that an answer would come, Ginny knew he lied. But, Cedric would never know that Ginny was aware of his deceit; she would only ever tell Hermione or Harry of what she suspected. With one hand on the letter, Ginny knocked on her brother's door, hoping that Harry would be there as well. She needed to speak with him as well.

She was pretty sure that Harry got her most recent letter—owls never took that long to reach their intended targets; it was how Ginny knew that that Cedric was lying about her letter to Draco having reached him—and wanted to know what was going on with Draco. Despite the length of time that had passed since Inferno Valley, Ginny never informed anyone of her enter with Draco; they all thought he was dead. Of course Harry would be confused by her admission regarding who gave her the tip that led to Voldemort's demise. So, Ginny needed to speak with Harry about how she came by the memory. There was also the letter and what she was to do about Cedric's obvious betrayal and deceit.

Upon standing there for a few minutes, Ginny heard the door open and saw that her older brother stood there before her. "Ginny, what are you doing here?" Ron asked. "You stood be getting ready for your wedding next week. You should be off with Cedric or something."

"I must speak with your wife," Ginny replied.

"Hermione, why?" Ron asked.

"Not your concern, Ron," she assured him.

"Whatever," Ron muttered.

Ginny entered her brother's home and headed straight for the library. Throughout their seven years at Hogwarts, Hermione was always found to be in the library, so it would not surprise Ginny if her sister-in-law built a library that would rival the one at Hogwarts. So, Ginny trooped down to their library, hoping to find Hermione and speak with her. As she neared the library, Ginny began to hear voices. "Harry, you sure of what's been going on?" Hermione asked.

"Of course I am," Harry replied. "I have the letter as proof."

Ginny entered the library before Hermione could give any response. "If you're referring to the letter I sent, you might as well talk to me, Harry. I'm the one who knows what's going on."

The raven-haired savoir of the Wizarding world turned to face Ginny. "Malfoy?" he asked. "Why would you take advice from a Malfoy regarding something as important as this?"

"It got rid of Voldemort, didn't it?" Ginny asked.

"Well, yes…" Harry started.

"Then, why are you complaining?" Ginny asked him. "What does it matter that the tip came from Draco?" This was the reason that Ginny was hesitant about telling anyone that Draco was alive. Harry, Hermione and all Ginny's brothers despised Draco; they would never accept Draco for being a good guy, for changing simply because of Ginny. "Remember, Harry, the job is done. Voldemort is gone thanks to the memory Draco gave me. He's as much a hero in all of this as you are. Maybe even more because of how he came to possess the memory."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Harry, when I disappeared those few days last month, I was kidnapped. It was Draco who came to my rescue that day. He helped me stay out of harm's way. After that, he informed me of the fact that his disappeared for five years was due to his entrapment within the Death Eaters. In fact, he's the reason Sirius technically has no more reason to hide; he's no longer a fugitive," Ginny explained. Since Harry was off searching for Voldemort the past month, Ginny never did get the chance to tell him of Pettigrew's imprisonment.

"Pettigrew's gone?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded. "Draco sent him to Azkaban. Now, tell me: does that seem like something that Draco would do if he wasn't on our side?" the youngest Weasley asked him. Harry shook his head. "I thought not. And, as for how he came by the memory, since I'm sure you've been wondering; Draco was the one who was impersonating Voldemort as Riddle was in hiding. He got that memory from the previous portrayer—who has since been oblivated—and had it tucked away within his robes where it was to remain forever. Harry, if it was supposed to stay on his person, why would Draco give _me_ the memory and ask that I send it to you?" Harry shrugged. "That's exactly my point, Harry. He wanted Voldemort gone as much as you did. So, please try to accept that Draco is a part of my life."

"Where is he then?" Hermione asked.

"That's the problem," Ginny said, pulling the letter out from her pocket. "I penned this letter the same day that I sent that letter to you, Harry, about Draco's involvement in what happened. Hermione later charmed it to know if Draco read the letter. As you can see by the color of the ink, he has yet to read it. The ink is currently red, as compared to the green ink it would be if Draco had actually read the letter. Something happened. I don't think Cedric ever sent the letter."

"He's missing?" Harry asked.

"Obviously," Ginny replied. "And, because of his involvement in destroying Voldemort, if anything happens to him, I'm pretty sure it would be considered a crime against the Wizarding world."

"You want me to look for him?" Harry realized.

"I do," Ginny acknowledged. "He's my only chance at getting out of a marriage I never wanted." Ginny's attention turned to Hermione. "A marriage your husband has been intent on seeing through to the end, simply because I will always love Draco. None of you seem to understand just much I rely on him, how broken I was the past five years that I thought Draco dead. I will admit that we never saw eye-to-eye during the first few years, but things change. People change. Of course, despite what my brother thinks, my love for Draco will never waver."

Harry shrugged. "If it was his tip that led me to Voldemort's secret hideaway, I think I may have no choice. As much as I've hated him, the man helped bring an end to Voldemort's tyranny."

"Thank you, Harry," Ginny said.

"You're welcome," Harry replied.

"Oh, there's one more thing," Ginny informed him.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Tell no one of Voldemort's destruction," Ginny explained. "I don't want it to common knowledge that he's gone until after my wedding. Keep the truth hidden for another ten days."

Harry quirked an eyebrow in Ginny's direction, a look of absolute confusion written all over his face. "Ten days. That's a long time, Ginny. Are you sure that you want the populace of Wizarding World to continue living in fear that Voldemort or his Death Eaters might come after them? It's unnecessary to put them through such a state of panic."

"It's completely necessary," Ginny countered.

"In what way?" he asked.

"Why else? It's for keeping me from marrying Cedric," Ginny told him. "Ever since all of this started, I've warned you guys before that I never wanted to marry Cedric. And, I will do whatever I can in order to avoid marrying the prick. I just need Draco to reassume Voldemort's identity for that one night. Then, after what I want is done, Voldemort can die forever."

"Fine. Ten days," Harry shrugged.

"Thanks," Ginny replied. _Perfect, _she thought. _Maybe Draco's time impersonating Riddle will come in handy. If only I can find him. Then, after I'm no longer forced to marry Diggory, there will be no reason for Voldemort to remain alive. Draco and I can finally be together._

* * *

**Author's Note: Cedric and Ginny each have their own plans and will do absolutely anything in order to see them through. But, which plan will work: Cedric's blood purity agenda or Ginny's plan to use Draco's _Voldemort_ identity to escape her upcoming wedding? **

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	12. What the Heart Wants

**Chapter 12: What the Heart Wants**

In the ten days that passed, Harry Potter searched the entire magical community for any sign of Draco Malfoy. There was no sign of the man; it was like he disappeared. On the day of the wedding, he returned to speak with the youngest Weasley; to inform her of the fact that there was no trace of the man she loved. Aside from Ginny, no one had seen or heard from the man in five years. For Ginny, who seemed happier knowing that Malfoy was alive, it would devastate her to learn that he could not be found. Harry couldn't care less though, despite what he did to help destroy Voldemort; it was his childhood nemesis and that would not change simply because of the former Slytherin's shift in allegiance. Harry grimaced and apparated away to inform Ginny of his failure in locating Draco Malfoy for her.

***

Since conversing with Cedric last week regarding the threat made against his sister, Bill Weasley rounded up anyone willing to help him protect his only sister. Aside from some of the wedding guests—Neville, Luna, and his brothers; who were more than willing to help protect the bride—Bill was also able rally the support of his wife, sister-in-law, certain teacher from Hogwarts—Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Hagrid—and Viktor Krum as well. No one was willing to lose Ginny as she was such an integral part of the family. Life would never be the same without her. "Don't worry, Ginny," Bill muttered as he, Charlie, and some of the Aurors warded the Quidditch Pitch against anyone willing to crash the wedding. "We're not going to let anything happen to you."

***

Since the man in black defeated him in a race towards the Snitch, Viktor Krum avoided public life, trying to forget about the fact that he was outflown by a nobody. He simply could not understand how he could have lost. When Bill Weasley and Hermione Weasley (née Granger) approached him about helping protect Ginny Weasley on her wedding day, Viktor was rather hesitant about doing so. She was the same girl he helped kidnap almost two months ago. The only reason Viktor agreed to it was because Hermione asked it as a favor to her.

As he informed the man in black, Viktor still loved Hermione. Ever since the Yule Ball during her fourth year, he found that he would always care for her. Despite the fact that they parted after the Tri-Wizard Tournament, he kept in contact with her because of his love for her. It seemed as if that wasn't enough however; Weasley was at her side the entire time and eventually married the woman Viktor loved. Viktor lost the woman he loved because he was not around her enough. But, despite losing her, Viktor would still help the woman. _That_ was the reason he agreed to help protect Ginny after kidnapping her; it was for Hermione.

Viktor made his way through Diagon Alley, keeping his eye out for anyone who might be willing to harm the Weasley girl. But, as he went by, what caught Viktor's eye was a dark-haired man lying against the wall, bottle in hand. "Zabini?" he asked, seeing the obviously inebriated man.

"What are you doing here?" Zabini mumbled.

"Better question. Vhat are _you_ doing here?" Viktor asked.

"It does not matter," Zabini muttered.

Viktor rolled his eyes. He helped Zabini to his feet. _Perhaps he can help me vith this protection detail. He vas protecting Ginny even then. How else vould she haff tried to escape from the boat?_ "Come Zabini. Let's get you cleaned up. Maybe you can help me vith vhat I haff been tasked to do." Zabini shrugged before passing out. "Vell, that vill be difficult."

Viktor apparated away from Diagon Alley with Zabini in tow and made sure that the Auror sobered up. He made Zabini drink a mug of coffee to sober him up and explained the situation to Blaise Zabini. In the past ten days, Viktor met up with one person that Zabini might want to hear about: Leonardo Parkinson. Before the kidnapping, Zabini spent hours complaining about a six-fingered man. As he met with the Quidditch team the bride and groom played for, Viktor saw the man Zabini spoke of. And, he might want to take revenge on the man.

"Wait, what?" Zabini asked.

Viktor repeated it. "In protecting Miss Veasley, you might haff done vell in checking the people she vorked vith. The man who owns the Quidditch team she plays for is the same man you haff been looking for."

"Who?" Zabini asked.

"Leonardo Parkinson," Viktor said.

"Parkinson!" Zabini grumbled. "I went to school with her and I never realized that it was her father who ruined my life." He pulled out his wand. "Seems I must go have a little talk with them."

"You aren't going anyvhere," Viktor said, keeping a hand on the man. "You're in no shape to be going anyvhere." As much as Viktor would have liked for Zabini to help him, there was no way for him to do so in the condition he was in. Considering the unshaven appearance, he did nothing but sit there in Diagon Alley drinking. "Vhat happened to you?"

"On my vacation," Zabini muttered. "Have since the kidnapping."

"And you haff been drinking?" Viktor asked.

"I suppose I have," Zabini shrugged. He clenched the wand that was made for Mr. Parkinson. "I need to go after him. I won't let him get away this easily. Not again. It won't happen."

"I thought not," Viktor said.

Zabini shrugged. "Where is he at the moment?"

"Possibly the Quidditch Pitch. Ginny is to be married there," Viktor explained. "And, since Ginny is one of the Chasers on a team he owns, I'm sure that he vill be at the wedding."

"Perfect," Zabini said.

"Only, there's a problem," Viktor said. "Bill Veasley has recruited several people who are villing to protect the wedding from any gate crashers. A threat vas made against the bride ten days ago. Only those on the guest list and a select group of Aurors are allowed to attend. Despite vhat you did for the bride, you are not one of those Aurors; your vacation kept you from being a part of this. Otherwise, ve vould have no problem getting in so that you could get your revenge on him."

"And, how many people are there?" Zabini asked.

"At least twenty," Viktor said.

"Do you know how many you could handle?" Zabini asked.

"Only a few," Viktor admitted.

"And there's no way that I could handle the rest," Zabini grumbled. "I think there's only one thing that can be done." Viktor eyed the man in confusion. "We need the man in black."

"Vhy him?" Viktor asked.

"He can help us," Zabini explained.

"Help us? How can he help us if ve don't know vhere he is?" Viktor asked. "He disappeared from the magical community after everything that happened to Miss Veasley two months ago. There is no telling if you vill find the man, nor are you sure that he vill agree to help us."

"We need to at least try," Zabini declared.

"Okay," Viktor shrugged. "Ve vill go after him."

***

Cedric sat in his study, once again going over his plans for this afternoon. There were several hours until the wedding and he was taking no chances in having his plans foiled as with his original plan to eliminate Ginny. As he did, Bill Weasley's head appeared in the fire. "Cedric, my friend, things are ready for this evening," the oldest Weasley explained.

"Perfect," Cedric grinned. "And, what of security?"

"The place is warded rather well," Bill replied.

"Perfect," Cedric said again. "Thank you, Bill. I appreciate all the help you've provided…" _…in rounding up all the people who are intent on protecting Ginny and opposing the future I'm planning for the world. _As his future brother-in-law's face disappeared from the fire, Cedric's bride apparated into the room, her brown eyes narrowing as they made contact with Cedric. "Ginny, what are _you_ doing here? It's bad luck for the bride to see the groom before the wedding. Surely, you must have heard of that tradition."

"I've heard of it and I really don't care," Ginny growled.

"Why not?" Cedric requested.

"Because I'm not marrying a man who lied to me," Ginny replied.

"Me? Lie? I think not," Cedric responded, lying to her.

"Of course you're lying. You lied when you said that you would send my letter to Draco!" Ginny yelled. "I'm not naïve, Cedric. I had my suspicions that you try something like this. So, I planned ahead. I made it so that I would know if Draco read the letter. But, he hasn't. This can only mean that you still have it. And, I am not about to marry a liar. Go find some crazy fangirl for you to marry because I assure I won't do it. My heart belongs to Draco. It always did."

Cedric's eyes narrowed. "I would not say such things if I were you."

"You can't very well stop me," Ginny announced. "Just as you won't ever be able to take away my love for Draco. He's been a part of me since I was sixteen. I may have hated him at one point in my life—for the better part of my life, in fact—but it was the hatred that strengthened our love. So, I will say this again, I am never going to marry you. So long as I am in love with Draco, I am never going to marry you; it's never going to happen."

"I WOULD NOT SAY SUCH THINGS IF I WERE YOU!" Cedric yelled at her. He grabbed hold of his fiancée and apparated to the Burrow where it was agreed that Ginny was to get ready for her upcoming nuptials. "Molly," he said to his future mother-in-law. "Please make sure that my fiancée gets ready for her wedding this afternoon. She's a bit hesitant."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "I will make sure she's ready."

"Thank you," Cedric replied before apparating to the Quidditch Pitch. He knew that Parkinson would be here seeing to it that Malfoy was put out of commission before the wedding. But, at the moment, it was taking too long. Draco Malfoy needed to be eliminated immediately. So, Cedric opened the passageway into the chamber and hurried down. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at Draco. "Ginny loves you beyond all reason. Nothing I said or did could ever change that. She never opened her heart to me because of you."

Draco smirked. "Beaten out by me again. I took your spot as hottest guy in Hogwarts and I took the heart of the girl you love. Then again, she was mine first, so I couldn't very well steal her away from you. And, you won't ever be able to steal her away from me. Ginny made that very clear, to both of us, I suspect. Get used to that, Diggory. Even after all the pain my family's put her through—my father especially—she still loves me!" Draco taunted.

"And, for that, you must be eliminated!" Cedric screamed.

"Eliminated? Yeah, right," Draco scoffed.

"_Crucio!_" Cedric yelled.

Draco gasped; having just experienced the Cruciatus Curse only moments before Cedric came down to yell at him. Receiving a second, so soon after the first could only end badly. He could end up a vegetable like Frank and Alice Longbottom did after his aunt tortured them. _Sonorous! _the former Slytherin thought. If he was about to scream—which he knew perfectly well that he was going to—someone outside of this chamber needed to hear him. "NO!" Draco yelled as Cedric's wand continued pointing at him, prolonging his suffering.

***

As her mother forced her to get ready for the wedding she didn't want, a faint screaming pierced Ginny's ears. She briefly stopped pulling her ivory wedding dress on and listened to the scream. Her heart began palpitating at a quickened pace when she realized that the scream was male. "Draco," she whispered. "That's his scream. I just know it is. Where are you, Draco?"

***

Blaise Zabini and Viktor Krum continued on their way, searching for any sign of the man in black. After hearing about Leonardo Parkinson, Blaise Zabini would stop at nothing in order to seek revenge on the man. He needed this; he needed closure. "Where could he be?" Blaise wondered.

"I do not know," Krum shrugged.

"I need his help," Blaise reminded his companion. "He's the only one who can help me get Parkinson within my grasp. I've waited twelve years in order to get my revenge on the man who killed my father. And, the funny thing is that I went to school with his daughter."

Krum laughed. "Ironic, no?"

"Perhaps," Blaise mumbled. "But, I am not about to sit idly by and allow Parkinson to get away with what he's done. He killed my father twelve years ago. Enrico Zabini died because Leonardo Parkinson could not stand to pay an exorbitant amount of money for a wand. I need to find the man in black so he can help me find Parkinson. No one else can help me."

Before Krum could give any response, a piercing scream was let out, rattling the very fabric of the Wizarding World. The two men had to hold on to the wall in order to keep themselves from falling to the floor the way everyone else did. Krum eyed Blaise warily. "Vhat vas that?"

"The man in black," Blaise responded.

"The man in black?" Krum asked.

"Yes, I believe so," the former Slytherin said. Two months ago when they dueled, Blaise noted that the man in black seemed as protective of Ginny Weasley as he was. Looking back on it, Blaise could see that there was a connection between the two of them. It was as if the man in black had a past with the youngest Weasley; perhaps they were in love. "Ginny Weasley is to be married today. My gut is telling me that the man in black is suffering because of this."

"Vhat makes you think so?" Krum asked.

"I'll tell you of my suspicions later," Blaise informed his companion. "Right now, we simply must find him." Blaise suspected the identity of the man in black to be someone he knew, a friend. He needed to find the man before he relayed his suspicions to Krum. _If it is who I think it is, he has a lot of explaining to do. _Blaise summoned a broom and flew off in the direction of the scream, hoping that it was whom he suspected. Things would be so much easier if it was.

Though the scream faded away, it reverberated in his ears like an echo. It was as if the voice was leading him to where he was. "Zabini, vait up! You're flying too fast!" Krum called.

"I have to," Blaise called. "I need to find the man."

"Fine."

Blaise, as if flying by instinct, landed at a Quidditch Pitch; the same one that Ginny was supposed to be married at. As Krum landed beside him, Blaise stood at the middle of the Pitch and cast a Disillusion Charm over himself so no one could see him; unless Ginny or Cedric allowed him to, Blaise was not supposed to be here. After twelve years of searching, Blaise was the closest he ever was to getting his revenge on Parkinson; he was not about to take any chances in allowing the man to get away. "He's here," Blaise declared.

"Here?" Krum asked. The Bulgarian eyed Blaise warily. "Zabini, are you sure that the man in black is here, at the site of Miss Veasley's wedding? It seems rather suspicious that Diggory vould hold the wedding in the exact same area that the man in black is being held. And, if he is here, vhere vould he be? There is no place for him to be held. At least none that I can see."

"He's here. I know he is," Blaise said.

"But, vhere?" Krum asked.

Blaise closed his eyes and held the ebony wand out in front of him and began blindly walking around the Pitch. It was as if a deeper magic was guiding Blaise to where he wanted to go. This guiding spirit eventually led the fatherless son to one of the goal posts on the far side of the field. He stood there in silence examining the goal post in question until finding a small notch in the post, worn away from use. "Krum, I think I found something," Blaise called.

The Bulgarian hurried over to join Blaise. "Vhat is it. Vhat haff you found that seems so important?" He eyed the goal post Blaise was staring at. "You called me over to stare at a goal post?"

"No, at the notch in the goal post," Blaise corrected.

"And vhat does that haff to do vith anything?" Krum prompted. His eyes narrowed at Blaise, a look of confusion written all over his face. "It seems like nothing. Please tell me vhat it is about this goal post that you felt the need to call me over. I must know before anything else occurs."

Blaise pressed his wand into the notch. "This."

As the wand made contact with the notch in the goal post, a loud whirring noise flooded their ears. They jerked around and watched in amazement as the field separated to reveal a giant staircase leading into what appeared to be an underground chamber. "Vhat is that?" Krum asked.

"_That_ is where the man in black is," Blaise declared triumphantly.

The pair of men hurried down the stairs where they came upon a strange man. "Excuse me. You're not supposed to be down here!" the man called. "I'm sorry, but you need to leave."

"I think you need to leave," Krum stated.

The strange man shook his head. "I have orders to be here."

Blaise grimaced. "We really have no time for this." He pointed his wand at the man who blocked their path and called out the first spell he could think of. "_Stupefy!_" Their opposition fell to the floor, slumping down into a heap and Blaise let out an immense sigh of relief. "Okay. Let's split up and look for any sign of the man in black. I know he's down here somewhere. Only problem is I'm not sure where. Just search for the man in black."

"I am," Krum said.

Blaise and Krum split up and searched the underground chamber for any sign of the man in black. He stopped cold in his track and gasped at the sight he saw in front of him. Lying prone on a slab of metal was someone he never expected to see again. It was indeed the man in black, but his identity was a complete shock. Draco Malfoy lay there, unmoving. Blaise bent down and checked his pulse, only to realize the unfortunate truth; he was dead. His one chance at finding and destroying Leonardo Parkinson was gone. And, with it went all chances of Ginerva Molly Weasley escaping the wedding she did not want.

* * *

**Author's Note: Just when things start looking up, they take a turn for the worse. **

**Leave a review.**


	13. The Power of True Love

**Chapter 13: The Power of True Love**

_Buttercup stared at her mother, jaw dropped at the sentence her mother just uttered. Draco Malfoy was dead. "No," she whispered. "That cannot have happened. Mum, please tell me that he did not just die again. After everything they've been through, both during school and then again when they were in Inferno Valley, Draco and Ginny can't be separated again." Buttercup wanted nothing more than to see the two of them together. They belonged together; they were soul mates, meant to be together since the day each of them was born. "Mum, please just tell me that you were joking. He can't be dead; not again."_

_"I'm sorry, Buttercup," her mother replied. "This is just the way things go. As I told you before, life is never fair. The only thing that you can do is move on with your life and make the most out of the cards you're dealt. As much as I want it to be so, Draco is dead. Try to understand that."_

_"And, what of Cedric?" Buttercup asked. _

_"How do you mean?" her mother prompted._

_"Well, what happens to him?" Buttercup questioned her mother. If Cedric planned on restoring the Wizarding World's blood purity, there had to be someone who could stop him. "Surely someone must have prevented Cedric and Mr. Parkinson from following through with their plans. Blood purity. It would be the cause of magic's demise." If magic was erased from existence, then what would the point of creating the pureblood society of _wizards _and _witches_? There would have been no point. "Who was it, Mum? Blaise? Viktor? Harry? One of them must have eliminated Cedric and brought peace to the Wizarding World after ensuring that he, Parkinson, and all other Death Eaters who threatened to destroy the world were brought to justice; sent to Azkaban for all that was done."_

_"That doesn't happen," her mother said. _

_"What?" Buttercup yelled. _

_The elder woman sighed. "I'm sorry, Buttercup."_

_"So, no one kills Cedric?" the eleven year-old asked. _

_"No. He lives," her mother admitted. _

_"And, is Draco's death ever avenged?" the girl wondered. _

_"No," the woman said. _

_Buttercup grimaced, her silver eyes glistening with tears. "Then why are you reading story to me, Mum? If evil wins in the end, what's the point of reading the story to me? True love is supposed to conquer all else. Ginny and Draco are supposed to get married and live happily ever after. Cedric and Mr. Parkinson are supposed to either die or go to Azkaban for the crimes they've committed. Good is supposed to triumph and bring the Wizarding World into a state of peace. Why won't you just come out and say so? Why are you saying things I know to be false?"_

_"But, Buttercup, it's the truth," the elder woman challenged. She stood up suddenly. "I can't do it. I simply cannot continue telling this story. You're too young, and obviously very tired. It's best if we just call it a night. You can go to bed and, in the morning, you'll board the Hogwarts Express and head to school. You'll forget about this story and I will finish the story when you're old enough to understand and deal with the ramifications of death."_

_However, before her mother could storm away, Buttercup grabbed the hem of her mother's shirt. "No!" she called. "I won't forget. I won't go to sleep until you finish telling me the story."_

_"Like your father," the woman grimaced. _

_"And proud of it," Buttercup grinned. _

_The mother dropped back into her seat and eyed her daughter. "Some days I wonder how you got your father's determination. Buttercup, I really do hope that you can contain that trait. It can be a fault at times. And, as for this story, I want you to keep your mouth shut. I can promise you that the next outburst will force me to leave the room for the night. Under no circumstances will I finish this story if you continue interrupting me. You and your father want me to finish this story. Well, it's not going happen if you continue acting the way you have. I will not stand for it. Just remember that the next time you want to say something while I'm telling you this story."_

_Buttercup nodded. "Yes, Mum."_

_"Good. Now, to continue…"_

Blaise stood in front of his best friend's body. "He never told me," he muttered. "If I knew it was him who came after Ginny when we tried to kidnap her, I would have allowed him to pass rather than try to duel him. Draco always was the better duelist. Second only to Harry Potter. Guess that explains why I lost; I was never able to beat him. What happened to him?"

"Seems he vas not strong enough," Krum stated solemnly.

"I have to help Ginny then," Blaise realized. "I'd never be able to live it down if I did nothing to stop the Weaselette's upcoming nuptials. Draco loved her more than anything; he was determined to save her, even at the cost of defying his best friend's wishes, though they were the same."

"And, vhat vill become of your plan to destroy Parkinson?" Krum asked. "If you try to stop Miss Veasley's wedding, you may not be able to seek your revenge on Parkinson for killing your father. Vhat vill you do then? You cannot do both. It vould be impossible for both to succeed."

"I'll find a way," Blaise replied. "Now, grab the body."

"Vhat for?" Krum asked.

"We're going to St. Mungo's," Blaise explained.

"But, nothing can be done to save him," Krum objected.

"I'm aware of that," Blaise said sadly. "I simply think that my friend deserves a proper burial. After consulting with the healers at St. Mungo's, we will give him that. Then, I'll deal with getting Ginny Weasley out of her wedding. She deserves to be happy, even without Draco."

Krum nodded and grabbed Draco's body from the slab before they both apparated to St. Mungo's. Blaise stood in the lobby for a few moments before joining Krum at the receptionist's desk. He hated hospitals. They reminded him of the fact that his father was gone. Coming here to St. Mungo's to deal with the fact that Draco Malfoy died for a _second_ time brought back some very painful memories. As Krum was the strong silent type, Blaise informed the woman at the desk of what happened. "Madam, a friend of ours suffered a terrible accident and I'm positive that he did not survive," Blaise explained. "I was hoping that someone would be able to provide us with a cause of death." Since neither one of them was around when he died, they wished to know what happened; why Draco died.

"We'll see what we can do," the woman said.

As this was mentioned, two healers appeared and took Draco from Krum. Blaise exchanged a glance with Krum and let a small smirk—one that rivaled Draco's—appear on his face. "Hmm? Now, how do we stop Ginny's wedding?" Blaise wondered. "It must be stopped."

"You are villing to forgo your revenge plans in order to save Miss Veasley from a wedding she does not vant?" Krum asked. "But, you haff been searching since you vere young."

"I know," Blaise replied. "As much as I want to go after Parkinson, I must protect Ginny even more. She's my best friend's true love. While we were in school, I was never all that supportive of their relationship. After his supposed death, I kept a close eye on her—always from a distance—to see that she was protected. I failed in that respect when I was forced to help kidnap her. I may have been under the Imperius Curse at the time, but I still blame myself for not completely protecting her. I am going to make up for that now, even if it means that I must forgo my plan to seek revenge against Leonardo Parkinson for all that he did to me. Protecting Ginny and keeping the girl my best friend loved safe is far more important than revenge. Until I know she's safe, I can't very well go after Parkinson."

"And, vhat if you can't find him ever again?" Krum asked.

"I'll find him again," Blaise promised. "I'm sure of it."

As the two men spoke, a third man approached them. "Sirs, I don't know how to tell you this, but the man you brought to us to determine what caused him to die; well, he's not dead."

"Not dead?" Krum questioned.

"That's correct. He's _only mostly dead_," the healer replied.

"Only mostly dead?" Blaise laughed. "I never thought that something like that was possible." In the twenty-two years that he was alive, there was never an instance where he encountered a person that was _only mostly dead_. There was alive and dead; nothing in between though.

"Oh, yes. It seems he suffered through several bouts of the Cruciatus Curse within a twenty-four hour period. He's still there, but, at this juncture, it's unclear if we can bring him out. There a possibility that he could be trapped within his own mind, or driven insane the way some of our long-term patients have been after suffering the effects of the Cruciatus Curse."

"Like Frank and Alice Longbottom?" Blaise supplied. The healer nodded. "Can we go to his room? He's one of my closest friends and I have not seen him in five years…" _at least knowingly._

"Only for a few minutes," the healer informed him.

After the healer led them to the room, Blaise stood there just staring at his best friend. He was still angry for Draco not telling him that he was there to rescue Ginny. If he had known, maybe things would be different. Maybe Draco and Ginny would be together again. "Why didn't you tell me?" Blaise requisitioned. "I could have helped you. I could have made sure that the two of you were reunited. But, no. You were determined to do this on your own. And, that's what almost got you killed. Ginny could be married if you don't wake. Then, all this would have been for nothing. You'd be trapped within your own mind for no apparent reason."

"You might vant to calm down," Krum suggested.

"Calm down?" Blaise asked. "You're crazy if you think I'm going to calm down. I've spent twelve years—seven of them while I was in school—searching for the man who killed my father. And, just when I find out where he's been hiding—in plain sight—my only chance at getting to him disappears because the man I intended on asking to help me happens to be my best friend—whom I thought to have died five years ago—and is now probably lost inside his own mind. There's nothing I can do to help him either. It's depressing."

"You think that is depressing?" Krum asked. "Try losing someone you love. Ron Veasley married Her-my-own-ninny and I haff been suffering ever since. Losing someone you love is more difficult."

"Perhaps," Blaise said. "I'm just hoping that Draco will be okay. While he's stuck in his head, Ginny is trapped in a wedding she never wanted. Nothing is ever going to be right for either of them if things remain the way they are. Everything changes if Draco remains trapped in his head."

***

Draco stood in a chamber, endless darkness surrounding him. No matter how many times he attempted to cast a Lumos spell, it refused to work. The darkness was too overpowering for any spell to take effect and it enveloped him in the shadows as he walked. And since light refused to penetrate the darkness he seemed trapped within, Draco blindly followed his feet, not knowing which way he was headed. "Where the bloody hell am I?" Draco wondered. "Why am I here?" Something seemed to be going on, but it was unclear as to what that might possibly be. "A better question; how am I supposed to get out of here?" The fact that he had no idea where he was really didn't help anything. Getting out of a place was rather difficult when he didn't know where he was, or where he was going.

As he was walking, Draco heard a faint female voice. It was a familiar voice, so he followed it, hoping this person might helping him understand what was going on. For whatever reason, this girl's voice was the only thing he could hear in this dark abyss. Draco wondered why that was. He needed to understand why she was the only one around.

"Draco!" the girl's voice called.

"Who are you?" Draco called. "_Where_ are you?"

"Follow your heart," the girl said.

_Follow my heart? _Draco asked himself. _What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? _How was his heart supposed to lead him to the answer? There was no logical reason for this girl to tell him that he needed to follow his heart. Maybe use his head, but not follow his heart.

"Come on, Draco!" the girl called. "I've waited long enough. You promised you'd come back. I can't wait forever, you know. There's a deadline in place and you're cutting it close. Too close for comfort. Should you take much longer in coming after me, you could lose me forever."

"Ginny!" Draco realized.

A red-headed woman with velvety brown eyes appeared before him. "You promised you'd come for me. Hurry up. I don't have much time left. Just wake up and come find me."

***

Blaise shook his head and turned to Krum. "I'm not so sure that Draco is ever going to wake up. We need to get going; Ginny doesn't have much time." He gripped his wand tightly and turned to head for the door. His best friend was never going to come back. What was the point of even staying here then when Ginny Weasley was in need of their help?

"Coming," Krum responded.

"I hope you don't plan on leaving without me," a third voice said.

Upon hearing that voice, Blaise spun around and saw a pair of silver eyes staring back at him. He grinned upon seeing that. "Well, well, well, it's my old friend back from the dead. So, Draco, when did ever plan on telling me that you were coming to rescue Ginny two month ago? I would have liked to know about that. If I knew it was you that came after us, I never would have blocked you from going after her; in fact, I would have helped you."

"No one was really supposed to know I was alive," Draco admitted. "At least not at the time. Things were way too complicated and, by the time I realized that you were a part of what happened, it was too late." Draco pushed himself up. "So, what's happened since I was out?"

"Your true love's wedding," Blaise said.

"Oh, _that_," Draco muttered. "I'm going to need my wand then. I promised I would help her and I have no intention of breaking that promise." Draco swung himself off the hospital bed, nearly falling to floor as he did; Krum was able to catch him before he did though. "Damn muscle atrophy!" Blaise and Krum looked at him in confusion. "For the past two months, I've been lying on that slab you found me on. There was _no _movement whatsoever. Parkinson and Diggory need to be destroyed for all that they've done to me and everyone else; I won't let Ginny marry that ass. I am going to stop that wedding at all costs."

"And, how are supposed to do that, Draco?" Blaise questioned. "You're weak. The muscle atrophy coupled with you having suffered through several bouts of the Cruciatus Curse has made you so weak, you can barely stand. How can you possibly object to the Weaselette's wedding?"

"I'm doing this," Draco insisted. "Now, my wand?"

"Don't have it," Blaise said.

"You better be joking, Blaise," Draco growled.

"I'm not," Blaise insisted. "We were kind of busy trying to get you out of there to grab your wand. You'll have to go without it. And, why would you need it right now anyway?"

"If I had my wand, I could show you," Draco retorted.

Krum stepped up. "I have it."

"You do?" Blaise and Draco asked.

"Vhen ve split up to look for you," Krum explained. "I found the vand and grabbed it just in case. I thought maybe ve could use it if one of us lost our vand. You already found Malfoy vhen I found it, so I never got the opportunity to inform you of such. Since he's alive, I suppose this belongs to you." The Bulgarian pulled a dark wand out of a pocket in his robe and handed it to the weakened former Slytherin. "Now, vhat is it that you vish to show us?"

"Oh, yes." Draco pointed the wand towards himself and silently muttered a spell. Blaise and Krum watched as the pale man's skin become even more pallid. His platinum blond hair disappeared completely and his silver eyes grew blood red. As his nose disappeared, getting replaced by two slits for nostrils, a slight grimace appeared on the familiar face. "Don't freak out," Draco insisted. "I'll explain what's going on as soon as we get out of here, which I suggest should occur soon considering the form I've just taken on. No one must see this."

The trio apparated away from St. Mungo's and landed in a small clearing. "Okay, ve did as you asked," Krum stated. "Now, tell us vhat is going on. Ve vish to know this secret of yours."

Blaise was curious about this as well. Why his best friend would chose to impersonate Voldemort, especially considering that the Weaselette's friend was the person who had to kill him, was beyond Blaise's comprehension. There was a chance that Draco could be killed. "What's going on?"

"For the past two years, I've been the one impersonating the man," Draco explained. "The real Voldemort has been in hiding for the past eight years. A memory which I handed off to Ginny two months ago is the only existing proof that a switch was made. Hopefully by now, Potter will have destroyed Riddle and I can do this without a problem. I can use this disguise as our way into the wedding where I can object to the wedding. It's the only chance I have at stopping the wedding and destroying Cedric for all that he did to me."

"Wouldn't the Voldemort disguise cause undue panic?" Blaise asked.

"Right now I need the panic," Draco said. "Only two people know the truth about what happened to Voldemort. Potter and Ginny are the only ones aware of my secret; Ginny because I told her and Potter because he's always been the one destined to defeat the man. And, for now, they're the only ones who need to know. Now, can you give me the location of the wedding? I need to get over there. And, you Blaise, you need to go have a talk with Parkinson."

"I do indeed," Blaise chuckled.

"So, where's the wedding?" Draco asked.

"Quidditch Pitch," Krum stated.

"Of course," Draco grumbled. "Diggory would use that arena as the venue for his wedding. He's about as Quidditch obsessed as Oliver Wood. Well, that should work to my advantage; the more public the setting, the easier a time I'll have at stopping the Diggory/Weasley wedding. Now, to deal with the situation. _Expecto Patronum!_" A silver ferret erupted from his wand and Draco gave a message to it before the patronus ran off in the distance.

"Vhat vas that about?" Krum asked.

"I needed to get a message off to someone," Draco explained.

Blaise quirked an eyebrow. "Potter?"

Draco nodded. "He needs to know what I'm planning."

As the trio of men apparated about thirty feet from the Quidditch Pitch, Blaise wondered if his friend was truly thinking this through. Something about Draco's plan seemed off. The most likely aspect of his friend's plan to backfire was his disguise; the undue panic it would cause—and at such a public place—would throw his plan out of whack and Draco might not get Ginny back. _They need each other; Draco and Ginny deserve each other. Hopefully, his plan works._

* * *

**Author's Note: Now that Draco, Blaise, and Viktor have gathered—this time with all of them aware of each other's presence—and come up with a plan, we're coming down to the last few chapters in this story. I think there's maybe three or four left before the end. Draco's plan is to be carried out in the next chapter. But, will all go exactly as planned? Or will the plan Draco came up with backfire as Blaise expects it to?**

**Leave a review. **


	14. Wedding Day Blues

**Chapter 14: Wedding Day Blues**

While his friends were getting ready for their younger sister's wedding, Harry sat in the next room adjusting his tux. And, while his friends were worried about the wedding, Harry couldn't stop thinking about his status as savior of the Wizarding World. Ginny promised that the truth could come out today. For whatever reason, she didn't want it told until today. It never made any sense to Harry, but he went along with it for the moment. He'd find out why she wanted to keep Voldemort's demise a secret eventually. He was sure he would.

Once he was ready for the Diggory/Weasley wedding, Harry headed out into the garden to wait for the Weasleys; they were arriving at the wedding together so that everything went off without a hitch. As he sat there waiting, a small silver ferret came hurdling towards him. It stopped just in front of Harry and a familiar voice emitted from the patronus. "Potter," came the familiar Malfoy drawl, "I have a plan to get the Weaselette out of her wedding. As much as I hate it, you need to be made aware of what's going on. I'm arriving at the wedding as a dead man. You know precisely whom I'm referring to. Since you know what I'm talking about, I'm sure you know how stupid an idea this really is. I know that, but this is the only way. To stop her wedding, this is the only thing that can happen. So, don't you dare try attacking me when I come in; I won't stand for any of that."

Harry grimaced as the silver ferret disappeared. "What is he thinking? Does he really think that coming to the wedding as the darkest wizard known to man will help? It may stop the wedding, but it very well could cause a few other problems." As the Weasley boys arrived at Harry's side, the savior of the Wizarding World deduced but one thing: things were not going to end well if Draco Malfoy planned on showing up to the wedding as Voldemort.

***

As he stood off in the distance, disguised as Lord Voldemort, Draco wondered if his plan would work. He wanted to believe that the plan would go off without a hitch, but that was only wishful thinking. Something could very well go wrong and he knew it. Blaise already disappeared to find Parkinson and Krum disillusioned himself, so Draco wasn't sure where the Bulgarian was at the moment. He was on his own—and weak—which could cause a problem.

Dusk settled in around him and Draco watched as the lights around the Quidditch Pitch lit up the arena. This seemed to be a signal as the wedding guests began apparating to the field. _Oh joy, _Draco thought. The bigger the crowd, the more of a problem there was. Coming in as Lord Voldemort would cause everyone except for Potter and Ginny to panic. And, people might try to attack him; Ginny's brothers and parents would attack him on sight. Even if he came in as himself, they would attack; Ronald Weasley would lead the attack. "I had hoped this would be a small wedding, that my appearance wouldn't cause a full-blown panic."

"Nope," a familiar disembodied voice said. "Diggory insisted that this be made a very public affair. As much as Ginny wanted a small wedding, Diggory opted to disregard what she wanted."

"Seems he's doing that a lot," Draco hissed. "Hello Potter."

"Hello Malfoy. Seems you have some explaining to do," Potter said as he removed what appeared to be an invisibility cloak from around himself. "Perhaps you could start with how the hell you survived. Everyone thinks you're dead, killed by Voldemort five years ago."

"You spoke with Ginny, did you not?" Draco asked.

"I did," Potter admitted.

"Then there's nothing to tell," Draco retorted. "Voldemort tried to kill me; however, my father stepped in to save my life. I've been hiding with the Death Eaters ever since. The Death Eaters all thought I died two years when I took over the mantle that is Lord Voldemort. For the past two years, I'm the one who made certain that the Death Eater attacks haven't been as severe as they were. There was no way I would let you come after and kill me. Honestly, I thought it was going to go on forever, until I realized that Ginny was around. You do realize that I'm the reason you were able to defeat the darkest wizard known to man, right?"

"Ginny told me belatedly, yes," Potter grimaced.

"Then, you owe me, Potter," Draco decreed. "Just help me stop the Diggory/Weasley wedding and we'll call it even. You have no idea what Diggory has put me through the past two months."

"What's that?" Potter wondered.

"Not now, Potter. It's not the time," Draco muttered.

"I think now's the perfect time, Malfoy," Potter countered, his emerald eyes showing defiance. "If I am to help you stop the wedding, I must be made aware of all pertinent information."

The blood red eyes that Voldemort possessed flicked with hatred. "You really want to know, Potter? Fine. Diggory tried to kill me. A few hours ago, Diggory came storming down into the chamber I was held in. He was screaming at me about Ginny's undying love for me. After that, he used the Cruciatus Curse on me in an attempt to kill me. I'm telling you right now, Potter; the Weaselette's wedding must not proceed. It won't end well."

"Cedric tried to kill you?" Potter asked.

"He did," Draco nodded.

"Then, as much as I truly do hate it, I have to help you," Potter grumbled. "I don't want my friend to marry someone willing to murder another. I'll talk to one of the Aurors and see what we can do about taking the man into custody. Trying to kill you is a crime; and even you don't deserve a fate as horrible as that. As much as I hate you, I'd never wish upon you."

"Thanks, Potter. I appreciate the help," Draco replied.

"No problem," Potter replied.

As much as Draco never wanted to accept any help from Potter, there was no other option. With Blaise off seeking his revenge on Parkinson and Krum's disappearing act, Potter was the only person Draco could trust to help him. Potter was always close to Ginny; she'd trust him with her life. So, Draco would have to do the same, no matter how much he hated the situation. "Let's go then. This cannot wait any longer than it has. I promised the Weaselette that I would stop the wedding and I have every intention keeping that promise, especially given all that Diggory has done in an attempt to destroy me."

"Got it," Potter said.

"Oh, and before we do, I should probably warn you. Due to how many times I've been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse as well as the muscle atrophy I have from not moving in two months, I'm afraid that I can barely move on my own. Potter, you need to help me get out of here," Draco explained.

"Oh joy!" Potter grumbled.

***

Hermione, Luna, and Ginny sat in her room getting ready for the wedding that was never supposed to occur. Ginny grunted as she stepped into her dress and pulled it on. "This is not supposed to happen," she groaned. "I'm not supposed to be marrying Cedric. It was always supposed to Draco."

"Maybe this is a sign that you should let him go," Hermione suggested. "You know perfectly well that Ron would never allow a marriage to occur between you and Malfoy. He hates the man too much. I'm telling you Ginny; you might as well give up on any relationship between you and your brother's most hated enemy. Nothing would ever work out."

"Do you really think I care about what my ass of a brother wants?" Ginny asked. "Ron was always protective of me. Hell, if it was up to Ron, I'd never marry. Make sure he's aware of that. What happens in my life—my love life in particular—is none of his business. And, if I want to marry Draco, I will. Nothing Ron can ever do will stop me. This Cedric business was probably all Ron anyway; he planned on doing anything he could to keep me from sulking over Draco. He thought Cedric was a better person for me to date than Draco."

"He's only trying to look out for you," Hermione countered.

"No. More like ruining my life," Ginny groaned.

"Maybe Nargles have been around," Luna suggested.

"I wouldn't count on that," Ginny muttered. As hard as Hermione and Luna were trying to make Ginny feel better about the fact that Draco had yet to show up and stop the wedding, all attempts were made in vain. Ginny could not bring herself to worry about anything other than Draco's absence. Ever since the incident at Inferno Valley, Ginny had not seen heads or tails of the man she loved. It was as if Draco Malfoy disappeared off the face of the Earth after he rescued her. Could a ghost have saved her that day? Was it wishful thinking come to life that saved her that day? Draco was nowhere to be found for the past two months and, if he waited any longer to come get her, it would be too late; she'd be married.

"But…"

"No, buts!" Ginny yelled. "I will not move on with my life. He loves me and I refuse to marry anyone if he's not the groom. My brother be damned. This is about what _I _want, not him."

"And, how are you supposed to get out of the wedding when your husband-to-be refuses to take no for an answer?" Hermione asked. "You've been unable to prevent the wedding because of it."

"I'm far more stubborn than he is," Ginny insisted.

The girls continued getting ready, and though Ginny delayed going to her own wedding—which was only about an hour away—she was eventually given no choice but to go when her mother came to get her. As it seemed, there was no option of becoming a runaway bride. Ginny grimaced and apparated into the locker room to wait. She was to remain there until the rest of the wedding party began making their way onto the Pitch where the wedding was to take place. _No one seems to understand just how much I hate this. I told Harry and Hermione, yet they still don't truly understand why I need this. _Ginny clenched the bouquet of flowers that was handed to her so tightly that fingers were turning blue.

Hermione peered in the locker room to speak with her sister-in-law. "Come on, Ginny," she prodded. Ginny scoffed. "And where's your courage?" the older woman asked. "There was a reason you were placed in Gryffindor. You need to be brave. You're about to start a whole new adventure."

"_Without_ the man I love," Ginny argued.

"You really do need to get over him," Hermione said. "I don't see how you could have ever fallen in love with him after all that he did to us. Malfoy made our lives a living hell."

"The heart wants what it wants," Ginny stated.

"Sometimes the heart is wrong," Hermione argued.

Ginny ignored her sister-in-law's pleas, not caring that she was trying to help. Hermione was trying to help Ginny in all the wrongs ways. Instead of helping Ginny, it seemed as if Hermione took after Ron when it came to Ginny's love life. Even her sister-in-law would never understand just how much the youngest Weasley needed to be able to live her own life. _I lose everything in the next hour. My livelihood, my love; it all disappears if Draco doesn't come get me._

During the remaining time before the wedding began, Ginny went over all the possible solutions she had to her current situation. None of them seemed plausible however; and everything would disappear when the hour was up. "I don't know if I can do this," Ginny said quietly.

"Of course you can," her father said, coming inside.

"No, I can't Dad," Ginny countered.

"Why not?" he asked.

Ginny knew that her father would never understand. If not even Harry or Hermione could understand just how much the Weasley daughter didn't want this, there was no way that her father—the Weasley patriarch—would ever begin to comprehend what it was that his daughter wanted. Only Draco ever seemed to understand and he was nowhere to be found. "Dad, this entire wedding is a mistake. I'm not supposed to marry Cedric," Ginny insisted.

"Ginny, what makes you say that?" her father asked as he took Ginny's arm and headed for the tunnel that would lead them out to field. "You couldn't have picked a better spouse. I've known Amos Diggory for years and Cedric is a nice boy. He'll make a great husband."

"So you say," Ginny grumbled.

***

Before he was forced to help the weakened Malfoy get to the wedding, Harry sent a message off to Kingsley Shacklebolt regarding the news he was just made aware of. Ginny couldn't marry a would-be murderer. It was an unacceptable outcome, something that had to be avoided at all costs. Upon sending the message, Harry covered himself with his invisibility cloak and helped his nemesis to the Pitch to stop the wedding. _I can't believe I'm helping Malfoy stop a wedding. What has the world come to that I'm now helping Malfoy? Not two weeks ago, I was all for Ginny marrying Cedric. Now I'm trying to stop it. _

There seemed to be no logical reason for Harry's shift in allegiance, at least none that any of his friends would be able to see. Ron, the twins, Percy, Charlie, and Bill would never understand why Harry would side with Malfoy. Unless he informed the Weasley boys of his recent discovery, they wouldn't get it. His only consolation was that being covered in the invisibility cloak kept the betrayal a secret for the time being. Until it became necessary, the Weasley brothers couldn't know that he was helping his greatest foe—now that Voldemort was gone, the former Slytherin had that title—stop their younger sister's wedding. Unless they uncovered the truth, they would be utterly clueless about what was going on.

"Potter, making one of the Aurors—outside of Blaise—aware of the truth had better work," Malfoy scoffed. "The only Auror I could ever trust with this plan is Blaise. No one else."

"Zabini's an Auror?" Harry questioned. "I've never seen him there."

"Long story short," Malfoy explained, "the encounter with Ginny two months ago forced Blaise to take some vacation time. You were off searching for Voldemort for so long that you never did hear of all the new Aurors. I wouldn't even be aware of Zabini's occupation if not for the fact that I ran into him while we tried to save Ginny. He informed me of his affiliation, mostly because it was that occupation that caused him to be held against his will and forced to kidnap the woman I love. And, the fact that he _tried_ to protect her during the kidnapping makes him okay in my book, the only Auror I can whole-heartedly trust. So, how can I be sure that I can trust Shacklebolt to help me bring Cedric down?"

"I can trust him," Harry countered.

"And, _that_ makes it better?" Malfoy scoffed. "I can barely trust _you_, a man I've hated since we were in school. For all I know, you could have informed Shacklebolt of all that I've done and asked him to take _me_ into custody for all that happened during my tenure as Voldemort. How can I be so sure that you won't do something like that after all this is over?"

Harry's emerald gaze narrowed. "After all that you did to help me destroy Voldemort, I can't very well implicate you. And, if I did, you would probably get a deal for helping us. So, if I were you, Malfoy, I'd stop worrying about what will happen to you. Ginny would hate me forever if I allowed anything to happen to you. For whatever reason, you mean too much to her."

"She loves me," Malfoy grinned. On the face of the darkest wizard known to man, the man's smile looked deranged, not like a smile that Harry would normally seen on Malfoy; of course, it was rare that Harry ever saw Draco Malfoy give anyone a genuine smile.

"Yeah, and I can only wonder how any of this was even possible after all that you did to make our lives a living hell," Harry commented snidely. "What in the world could have caused the both of you to fall for each other when we were in school?" That was one thing that Harry never understood. How was it ever possible for Ginny to fall for the enemy and for Malfoy to do the same? They were _supposed_ to be enemies. They were _supposed _to hate each other for all eternity. Yet, there seemed to be some sort of disconnect there; since about January of her sixth year—seventh year for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy—Ginny seemed to start ignoring all advice that Ron ever gave her. That was when it became common knowledge that Malfoy and Ginny were dating. The world as Harry and the Weasleys knew it seemed to come crashing down once Ginny started dating their most hated enemy.

"That's not your concern, Potter!" Malfoy yelled, the red Voldemort eyes blazing in anger. "Now, I suggest that you keep your questions to yourself and help me do as you promised. If I feel the need to tell you what's going on, I will. But, until that happens, keep your questions to yourself."

"Fine," Harry muttered.

"Now, keep your mouth shut," Malfoy hissed. "We're on our way up to the Pitch and I can't have you talking. You're _supposed_ to be invisible, Potter. That means no noise. So, zip it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Harry muttered.

"_What_ did I just say?" Malfoy growled.

"Shut up," Harry said.

"Then, do as you're told!" the Voldemort imposter snarled. "If anyone sees or hears you holding a civil conversation with the wizard you're supposed to kill, my whole plan will backfire. And, as I told you before, I am not about to let Diggory get his way after all that he's done in an attempt to ruin my life. He's a killer; and I'm sure it would help to mention that he's associating with Death Eaters. He might possibly even be in league with them."

Harry's fists clenched. "That seals it. We're going in." If Cedric Diggory was in league with the Death Eaters, then he had to go. There was no way that Harry would ever permit one of his closest friends to marry someone who would willingly associate with Death Eaters. _This can't be happening_, the savior of the Wizarding World thought_. How could we have missed that? How could we have been so wrong about Ginny's fiancé?_ It was obvious that Ron's—and Mr. Weasley's—judgment about people Ginny should be dating was way off. They thought Cedric to be a good person. According to Malfoy, he wasn't. And, as much as Harry hated to admit it, he was tempted to believe the former Slytherin over his best friend, simply because Cedric's actions correlated well with Malfoy's story. Malfoy was weak, shaking from what seemed to be the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse.

From that, Harry could only assume that his enemy's story was the truth. He never wanted to believe it, but the evidence spoke for itself. Draco Malfoy was obviously in pain, and suffering because of it. Cedric Diggory was guilty of trying to kill Malfoy; of trying to do the same thing that Bellatrix Lestrange did to Frank and Alice Longbottom. And, though he hated Malfoy, Harry would never wish such a fate on him. It wasn't something he ever wanted to see, not when he knew just how much such a thing affected Neville when it happened to him. Ginny would be devastated if such a thing ever happened.

Harry, under the cover of his invisibility cloak, supported Malfoy as the man headed towards the Quidditch Pitch. Malfoy seemed to glide up to the entrance of the Quidditch Pitch where Bill Weasley, Severus Snape, and Mad-Eye Moody stood, holding up the wards to protect the Pitch.

"Hey! You're not supped to be here!" Bill called.

***

When the wedding march began, Ginny took that as her cue and grabbed her father's arm, ready to begin walking down the aisle to what was to be her doom. She still had her qualms about what she was about to get into, but there was nothing she could do about it. At the moment, it seemed as if nothing could stop the wedding. Ginny looked around, noting the absence of one particular person. "Dad, have you seen any sign of Harry?" Ginny asked.

Her father shook his head. "Not for the past few hours."

Ginny paled. _Where could he be? One of the most important men in my life and he doesn't even show up for the wedding. _Harry needed to be here; it seemed as if he was the only one that might be willing to support her. For her brothers and their respective wives, they all believed that Ginny was doing the right thing by marrying Cedric. If Harry wasn't here, Ginny might not ever be able to make it through the rest of the day. "But, I can't do this if he's not here."

"You may not have a choice," her father replied.

"No," Ginny whispered.

She and her father came to the altar where Cedric and the rest of the wedding party stood in wait. The priest stepped forward. "Who give this woman to this man?" the priest asked.

"Her mother and I," Mr. Weasley stated.

Ginny was passed over to Cedric, who took her hands in his and smiled. "Soon we'll be married and you'll be mine forever," Cedric said, giving a very Draco-like smirk as the priest spoke.

"Marry you!" Ginny scoffed. "I'd rather die."

"That can very well be arranged," Cedric murmured in a harsh tone. "Then you can be reunited with Malfoy since he was killed a little while ago. In fact, I did it myself. I made absolutely certain that there was nothing that would stand in my way of getting what I want. And, I have made it very clear that _YOU_ are what I want. I'll stand for nothing less than that."

"Like I care," Ginny retorted.

"Oh, but you should," Cedric insisted.

Despite this being her wedding, Ginny could barely pay attention to anything the priest was saying. She was too concerned about where Harry was and what might have happened to Draco. Was Cedric telling the truth when he said that he killed Draco? Or, was he still alive? Ginny glanced back and saw Kingsley Shacklebolt coming towards them. "Auror Shacklebolt, what's going on?" Ginny heard her mother asked. "Why are you here?"

"I'm afraid we have a situation here," Shacklebolt decreed.

"What's that?" she asked.

"I cannot allow this wedding to proceed," Shacklebolt said.

Ginny turned around and stared at the Auror, wondering what the man had to say regarding the wedding and why he wished for it to go no further. "Sir, can you please elaborate? There must be an explanation for all this." Not that Ginny was complaining or anything. She was in full agreement with Shacklebolt's assessment. Ginny was merely curious as to the reason the Ministry did not want a Diggory/Weasley wedding to occur. Ministry officials normally had no say as to who married whom. But, it seemed as if this wedding was different. Why?

"Because the man you're about to marry is a would-be murderer," a voice called from the tunnel leading out to the Quidditch Pitch. "He made an attempt on my life to keep me away from you."

* * *

**Author's Note: Out of everything that occurs in the story, the one thing I decided to drastically change was the wedding and how the villain was taken down. I personally found this version to be more believable. I always did feel as if it would go much better if the wedding was stopped rather than using a loophole with the wedding vows.**

**Leave a review. **


	15. Revenge of an Ebony Wand

**Chapter 15: Revenge of an Ebony Wand**

After leaving Draco on his own, Blaise apparated closer to the Quidditch Pitch before casting a Disillusioning Charm over himself and sneaking in undetected, under the radar. No one could know what he was about to do. He was an Auror intent on seeking revenge on Leonardo Parkinson for all that he did. It was to be a covert operation, so not even Draco could know what he was about to do. Leonardo Parkinson ruined Blaise's life and now was the time for the former Slytherin to return the favor; he would pay for all that he caused.

A four points spell was cast and Blaise headed to the west—towards the sunset—in order to track Parkinson. He was headed this way and Blaise would do the same. No matter what happened, he was going to avenge his father's death. Whatever Parkinson was doing, he wasn't about to get away with it; Blaise would make absolutely sure that the man who killed his father would get what was coming to him. Blaise clenched his wand tightly and grinned when he spotted a figure far off in the distance. He closed his eyes and apparated in front of Leonardo Parkinson. "Mr. Parkinson, I know what you did!" Blaise yelled.

"And, what would that be?" Mr. Parkinson questioned.

"You killed my father!" Blaise screamed.

"Did I?" Mr. Parkinson asked.

"Of course you did," the younger man shouted. "I watched you do the very act I'm referring to. You thought you were alone that day when you killed my father; that I was with my mother shopping. And, if I was, you might have gotten away with all that you've done. But, you're not; now, as both an Auror and the son of the man you killed, I must take you into custody for all that you've done." He pointed the ebony wand that started the whole thing towards Mr. Parkinson's throat. "I won't let you get away with this anymore."

"You don't have a choice," Mr. Parkinson chuckled.

"Of course I have a choice," Blaise said. "And, it is my choice to bring you to justice for all the crimes you've committed since your daughter went to school. Possibly even before that. Until now, no one ever found out about your extracurricular activities; well, I will see to it that the whole world—your daughter included—knows what you've done, both to me and others."

"It will not work," Mr. Parkinson smirked.

"Of course it will," a female voice said. Blaise turned around and spotted a woman with bubblegum pink hair coming towards him, her wand pointed at Mr. Parkinson. Before Blaise could ask the question on the tip of his tongue, the woman held her hand up. "Harry informed us that there was an Auror in need of support. There was a dangerous man on the loose and you needed my help."

_Potter!_ Blaise thought. _That was not supposed to have happened. I was supposed to do this on my own. I suffered at Parkinson's hand when my father was killed. What in the world was Potter thinking when he sent this woman out to help me? I don't need any help._ "Why did Potter send you?"

"It was not Harry; it was my cousin," the woman explained.

"Your cousin?" he asked.

"Draco Malfoy. Ring any bells?"

"Of course," Blaise grimaced. "Even my best friend suspects that I won't be able to do this. Well, I hate to disappoint him, but it's not going to happen. I need to do this on my own."

"_I'm_ not so sure that's a good idea," the woman argued.

"Right now, that doesn't matter," Blaise said. "This started twelve years ago when Parkinson killed my father. And, I am going to do this on my own. Go help your cousin. If what I heard about Diggory is true, the Aurors there will need all the help they can get."

The bubblegum pink-haired woman grimaced. "You may think this is a good idea, but it's not. Zabini, you're putting yourself in danger by doing this alone. It will not end well. Parkinson may have let you go when you were eleven—unable to defend yourself in any way—but he won't do the same today. My cousin will lose his best friend if you do this on your own, something you've had experience with when it was suspected that my cousin was dead. Do you really want your best friend to go through everything you did?" she asked.

"Well, no. But…"

"Then, allow me to help," the woman said.

"Fine," Blaise grunted. He turned back to where Parkinson was standing only to learn that his target disappeared. "Thanks," he scoffed. "Because of your unwanted interruption, I now have to find Parkinson _again_." A second four points spell was cast and Blaise tore off after Parkinson, not bothering to wait for his best friend's cousin. The woman with the oddly-colored hair caused a setback in Blaise's plans and he was not about to let it happen again.

"Zabini!" the woman called.

"Not happening!" Blaise called behind him. "Now, I will say this again; go back to the Quidditch Pitch and help your cousin. Diggory's going to give them a lot of trouble; he'll try to evade capture. After what the man did to your cousin—simply to get him out of the way so that he could marry Ginny without any trouble—I can tell you right now that he's not about to go down without a fight. Go help them while I avenge my father's death. I cannot sit idly by and watch as my father's killer walks free, not when I can do something about it."

"But, my cousin…"

"Go!" Blaise yelled. Once he was sure that the woman was gone, Blaise continued going after Parkinson. He had to make sure that nothing like this ever happened again. No one was ever meant to suffer the way Blaise did as a result of Parkinson's actions. Leonardo Parkinson ruined his and so many other lives through his actions; no one else could suffer as he did.

Twelve years he spent trying to locate the man, the man who killed his father. Never had Blaise been this close to avenging his father's death. And, he wasn't about to let anything else occur. _I'm close. It won't be long before Leonardo Parkinson goes to Azkaban where he can never harm another living soul. But, how am I supposed to get him if I don't know where he is?_ Unfortunately, blind apparition was not an option. So long as Blaise had no idea where he was going, splinching was an issue; which made catching the man that much more difficult.

As much as Blaise hated to admit it, Leonardo Parkinson could not be captured and placed in an Azkaban prison cell just yet. Due to Draco's cousin's interference, Blaise would have to track the man down, yet again. _That snake_, Blaise thought angrily. _He used the woman's appearance as a smokescreen for his disappearance. Who knows when they next time I find him will be?_ This was exactly the reason Blaise wished to do this alone; on his own, he was successful in finding his target; working with a partner, he lost track of the man.

Based on the man's age and Blaise's own estimation of Parkinson's abilities, the former Slytherin apparated about two miles north of where he was standing. Even with the ability to apparate, Blaise had a sneaking suspicion that Parkinson would hide in plain sight. And, when he saw the approaching figure, Blaise knew he was right; Parkinson was trying to sneak by him by choosing not to apparate to his destination, thus making a search for him futile. "Parkinson!" Blaise yelled. "You _will not_ get away. There's no way for you to escape."

"Of course there is," Parkinson cackled.

"_Furnunculus_!" Blaise shouted. As the boils sprouted all over the elder man's face, Blaise allowed a small grin to grace his dark features before it became impassive and he called out a second spell, a spell that would ensure that the older man remained where he was; he refused to allow the man who killed his father to get away, not this time. "_Incarcerous_!" The rope that emerged from the ebony wand that started this entire ordeal quickly wound its way around Leonardo Parkinson, thus constricting his movements; at least until Blaise was able to send him away to Azkaban for all that he did. "_This_ is what you get for killing my father!" the younger man yelled. "For twelve years I've lived with the pain you've caused and I am not about to let you get away with it. And now it's time for you pay, time to pay for all crimes that you've committed against the Wizarding World over the past thirty years."

"I will do no such thing!" Parkinson declared.

Blaise took hold of Parkinson, apparating them away to the Ministry. They—both the Ministry and the public—had to be made aware of the things Parkinson had done over the years. Even Blaise was not aware of the full scope of all that the crimes Leonardo Parkinson committed. Enrico Zabini's death was just another black mark on the man's career. As Blaise came through the Ministry lobby, he garnered stares from many an employee; Blaise had not been here in two months—since Ginny Weasley's kidnapping—so he supposed there were sure to be some stares as he arrived with his prisoner.

"Auror Zabini!" someone cried from just behind him. Blaise spun around to see a stocky red-headed woman coming his way. "What are _you_ doing here? I thought you were on vacation."

"I came across a Death Eater, madam," he explained.

"A Death Eater?" the woman asked. She seemed to be in shock at Blaise's declaration; not expecting such a response as to the reason Blaise's "vacation" was cut short. _Probably since Leonardo Parkinson is such an upstanding citizen of the community_, Blaise thought ruefully. _No one seems to realize just how much harm Mr. Parkinson has done to the world. He covered his tracks well; almost as well as Lucius. _"Sir, are you sure? Are you sure that _this_ man is a Death Eater? _I've_ never heard any chatter that might insinuate such."

"_Exactly_!" Parkinson declared.

"Shut up!" Blaise yelled at the older man. After all that the man had done to him, Blaise Zabini was not about to allow Leonardo Parkinson to give any input on the situation. Upon yelling at his father's killer, the younger man then turned to the woman to help make her understand what was going on. "I'm afraid so. He did willfully and purposefully kill my father twelve years ago, among other crimes. And, I have reason to believe that he is planning something, something at the Diggory/Weasley wedding." If what happened to Draco was any indication, Leonardo Parkinson and Cedric Diggory definitely had something planned. And, it all started with the wedding everyone seemed to be talking about.

"How is that possible?" the woman asked.

"It just is," Blaise assured her. "Now I need to go process this one," he pointed to Parkinson, "and send him off to Azkaban. While I do that, I want you to send all capable Aurors to the Diggory/Weasley wedding—it's taking place at the Quidditch Pitch where the Holyhead Harpies play—and see to it that whatever evil looming there is taken into custody." Blaise only hoped that Draco would not be there as Voldemort by the time the Aurors arrived. It simply would not do for "Voldemort" to be there as it would only separate Draco and Ginny. And, that was not something Blaise wished upon his friend; not after all that he had done to try to get them back together. The couple had already spent five years away from each other; it would do no good to their relationship if Draco was locked away in Azkaban, only hinder it even further. _Draco, you had better have things well at hand by the time Aurors get there for support. Otherwise, you're going to be in major trouble. For Ginny's sake, you must not appear to them as Voldemort. It just can't happen._

"Yes sir," the woman said.

As the stocky woman hurried off to follow his instructions, Blaise turned his attention back to the man who killed his father. "_You_ are going to Azkaban for a very long time, Parkinson. After everything that you've done to me, Draco, and probably other witches and wizards in England, I doubt you will get any leniency, not after what you've done to us." Blaise made sure he had a tight grip on the man as he was transported for processing; he had no intention to letting Parkinson get away. While he was busy processing Leonardo Parkinson and getting him ready for transport to Azkaban, Blaise realized something. Things were finally starting to fall into place. After twelve long years of searching—seven in school and five spent working as an Auror—Blaise had finally caught up with the man who killed his father and, in just a few short hours, the cruel, heartless man would be forced to pay the price of his actions. Enrico Zabini's death would finally be avenged after over a decade; Blaise's quest for revenge was finally fulfilled.

* * *

**Author's Note: Parkinson's gone. Now, what about Cedric?**

**Leave a review. **


	16. Love's Whisper

**Chapter 16: Love's Whisper**

Though he arrived at the wedding looking like Lord Voldemort, Ginny knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Draco underneath. Harry informing her of Voldemort's destruction made it very clear that it was Draco; he was the only one who knew the incantation to make him look like he did. Ginny looked around at the guests and noticed that her brothers all had their wands pointed at the Voldemort imposter. She stormed in front of her brothers and stepped in front of Draco. "No!" she yelled. "It's not who you think."

"So, it's _not_ Voldemort?" Ron asked.

"Of course not. Voldemort's dead," Harry said, stepping forward.

Ginny smiled when she saw the emerald-eyed savior of the Wizarding World step out of from underneath his invisibility cloak, standing just beyond where Draco stood at the moment. "Harry, I wondered where you were. Why didn't you say anything about helping Draco?" she whispered.

"There wasn't time," Harry replied.

"As long as you're here," she said.

Ron stepped forward, his blue eyes seething with rage. Whether it was because the ceremony was interrupted or the fact that a Voldemort imposter stood in front of him, Ginny didn't know. "Harry, what are you talking about? Voldemort is standing right in front of us."

From behind Ginny, a spell was intoned; a spell Ginny recognized. Once she was sure that the transformation was complete, Ginny sashayed out of the way. "Do I look like Voldemort?" Draco asked.

When it became known that Draco Malfoy stood there, two people stepped forward, intent on voicing their opinions on the matter. One was Ron, as expected given the rivalry between the two families. The other was Cedric Diggory. "You're _supposed_ to be dead!" he yelled.

Draco shrugged. "You can thank the power of love for that one. Ginny's love for me is what saved me from death. And, as promised, I am here to save her from that which she never wanted." He grasped hold of Ginny's hand, squeezing it tightly as she stepped closer to him; away from Cedric. "I told you I would come for you, Weasel," he whispered. "I have no intention of breaking that promise. I never did; even five years ago when I left you."

"I know that now," she replied.

"Let her go!" both Cedric and Ron yelled.

"Not a chance!" Draco countered. Ginny was pulled behind him as he continued to yell at the men who threatened to keep the pair apart: her brother and her fiancé. "Weasley, do you have any idea as to whom you've allied yourself with? He's a would-be murderer. The man tried to kill me. And, it might even interest you to know that he's also a Death Eater." Everyone—including Amos Diggory, Ginny noted—gasped at the accusation Draco made against him.

"Lies!" Cedric yelled, storming forward in an attempt to take Ginny. "Now I want you to get out of here, Malfoy! There is a wedding going on, one that I refuse to allow you to interrupt."

"No!" Ginny screamed, pulling away from Cedric as he attempted to drag her away from the man she loved. "You are going to listen to what _I_ want for once; that includes ALL of you. I _never_ wanted to marry Cedric. I'd rather kill myself-" Molly Weasley gasped at her daughter's admission "-than marry the man. And, Ron?" Her brother's ears perked up. "I'm marrying Draco. See, what you don't seem to understand is that, even if I married Cedric, I would never be happy. My heart always belonged to Draco, something you would never understand. So, live with it. Because when I marry Draco, which won't be too long in the near future, he's going to be your brother-in-law." Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. It was exhilarating to know that she had gotten that off her chest; Ron—and Cedric—needed to know that Ginny simply was not willing to go along with the plans that were made.

Cedric pointed his wand at Ginny. "How dare you?"

Before Cedric had the time to utter any spell in Ginny's direction, the Aurors at the wedding surrounded the supposed groom. Ginny counted at least ten wands pointed at the man who was supposedly a sweet, gentle-natured guy; the man Ron thought would be good for her. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Neville Longbottom, and Blaise Zabini—who only recently arrived at the wedding—were among the ones she recognized. The others were not as recognizable, for she only knew them in passing. "You dare pull a wand on an unarmed woman!" Blaise shouted. "And your supposed fiancée no less. Well, it seems as if you really don't care about her all that much."

"And, what about you, Zabini? Wasn't it you who helped kidnap her?" Cedric remarked snidely, a look of superiority crossing his features. "Shouldn't _you_ be sitting in an Azkaban prison cell thanks to your part in my fiancée's kidnapping? Or have you forgotten that?"

All eyes whipped to Blaise Zabini, curious as to the response. "I was under the Imperius Curse!" Blaise retorted. "I'd never willing harm the girl my best friend loves. Besides, I broke through at certain times to _help_ her, thus ensuring my fate. Of course, since _you_ were the one to order the kidnapping in the first place, I don't think you should be speaking at all."

Ginny was the first to react to this news, for it confirmed his true nature. "You bastard!" she yelled. "Tell me! What was I to you? Why was it that _you_ had to pick me, of all people to play a part in whatever plan of yours. And, tell me this; did you actually love me?" Of course, Ginny already knew the answer to the last question; she simply wanted her brothers and parents to hear it as well. Only those who knew the truth—which appeared to be herself, Harry, Draco, and Blaise—would have no reason to hear what was said.

"Love you? No," Cedric snarled. "You were but a means to an end."

"For what?" she asked. But, rather than wait for an answer, Ginny turned to her brother, whom she was sure to have been the mastermind behind Cedric ever asking her out. This—all of this—was his fault and the blame should lie squarely on his shoulders. "Do you see what you've done Ron? Because of you and your interference in _my_ love life, we've been thrust into this situation. I think a demonstration is in order just to show you the mistake you've made, older brother." Ginny pointed at Cedric and Draco. "Both of you, roll up your left sleeve. A point must be made and this is the only way in which to do it."

Draco did as Ginny asked, revealing a pale arm; unmarred by the wretched skull and snake that was the Dark Mark. It had not surprised Ginny after the story he told when they were in Inferno Valley. Cedric, however, flat out refused Ginny's request. "No. I will not do such a thing."

"Only the guilty deny themselves the chance to absolve themselves of guilt," Auror Shacklebolt noted. He stepped forward and yanked Cedric's sleeve up to reveal the Dark Mark, scarred over his arm. "A Death Eater!"

"See!" Ginny yelled at her family. "See what you _almost _made me do. I might have married a Death Eater if it was up to you. That seals it. No matter what any of you may say—Ron especially—I will marry Draco. Anyone who accepts _my_ choice, I will allow to be a part of my life; to those who refuse to accept it—yes Ron, I'm taking about you—I will not acknowledge you."

While Shacklebolt and Moody led Cedric away, seething in rage as he passed Ginny and Draco, Ron turned to his sister. "And, what about _him_, Ginny?" Ron demanded, pointing at Draco. "Malfoy was a part of the Voldemort ordeal. How can you continue to defend him when he himself played a part in all the events that transpired when it came to the darkest wizard who ever lived?"

It was Harry who answered the question. "Ron, he held the key that allowed the chance to kill Voldemort. If not for the ferret—as much as even I hate to admit it—Voldemort might still be alive and ensuring the Wizarding World was rampaged by whomever was impersonating him."

"But…but…but…" Ron sputtered.

"Save it, Ron," Harry said. "You won't change her mind."

As Ron argued over his younger sister's choice with anyone around, Ginny and Draco slipped away from the Quidditch Pitch, heading for a small clearing. There Draco questioned Ginny regarding what was said. "Weasel, did you really mean that?" he asked her.

"Mean what?" she inquired.

"What you said, that you would marry me?" Draco questioned.

"Of course I did, Ferret," she replied. "I have spent far too long listening to what everyone else wanted me to do and looked where that got me. Because of them, I nearly married a Death Eater. I am not about to make the same mistake again. With you, I at least know what I'm up against. Yes, your father was a Death Eater and yes, you impersonated Voldemort for a time, but in the end you've always loved me. Whereas someone else might have killed me on the spot, your duties during your tenure as the Voldemort imposter ended the moment you found me getting carried up the cliffs. You gave Harry what he needed to bring peace to the Wizarding World simply because me. No other person would have done that. There is no way that I would go back on that promise."

Draco grinned and pulled her close. "And, I didn't even have to ask."

"There would have never been a need," Ginny reminded him. "Remember, I spent five years unable to love, so you should have known that I would say yes to you; no matter what."

All of a sudden, Viktor Krum appeared in front of them, casting off what appeared to be a Disillusioning Charm. "The wedding has been stopped then?" he asked, eyeing the couple.

Draco nodded. "It has."

"Good. Then you might vant these," Krum explained, removing two brooms from behind him. "So you can get avay from everything. Especially the press." The last comment was directed toward Ginny, who nodded imperceptibly. With the wedding that was never supposed to be failing apart thanks to the revelation that Cedric was a Death Eater—and the news that Voldemort was no longer a threat to the Wizarding World—the couple had a dire need to get away.

"Thank you Viktor," Draco said, taking the brooms away from the Bulgarian. He handed one of the brooms to Ginny and mounted the other. "Inform Blaise and Potter to take care of things while we're away. After a five year absence, Ginny and I have a lot of catching up to do." He kicked off, soaring up into the sky, only to be followed close behind by Ginny.

"I vill," the Bulgarian replied.

Once they were up in the air, Ginny hovered for a few moments, staring straight into Draco's molten silver eyes. Three months ago, she thought she'd never see those eyes again. She lost hope a long time ago that she would ever find happiness. Now that all seemed a distant memory, for Draco came back from the dead for her. He returned and gave Ginny the happily ending she wanted so much. As they flew away from the danger of this afternoon, Ginny grabbed hold of Draco's hand, wondering what the future would hold for them.

* * *

**Author's Note: And, thus ends the tale of Draco and Ginny. Well, that's not exactly true. I still have one chapter left. There are still a few loose ends left to be wrapped up. Little Buttercup and her reaction to the tale her mother spun has yet to be revealed. **

**Leave a review.**


	17. Facts of Life

**Chapter 17: Facts of Life**

_The mother breathed a sigh of relief. "And so, Draco and Ginny lived happily ever after." She eyed her daughter. "Now Buttercup, it's time for you to settle down and go to bed. Hogwarts awaits."_

_Buttercup smiled. Draco and Ginny got their happily ever after. It was the best thing that the young red-head could ever ask for. "Mum, do I have to?" the girl whined. After hearing that story, Buttercup wasn't so sure she wanted to go to bed; she could always sleep on the train. Right now, Buttercup wanted nothing more than to sit up with her mother and hear more stories."_

_"Do as your mother said," a voice called from the door. _

_"But, Dad," Buttercup complained. _

_"No buts, young lady," her father admonished. "You have school in the morning. Though you may have been told this story, it was for learning purposes. A moral lies within the fabric of the story and you must understand it to be prepared for tomorrow when you journey off to Hogwarts. Tell me, Buttercup, before you drift off to sleep, what did you learn from this story?"_

_As she hesitantly settled down into the soft fabric of her comforter, Buttercup mentally went over the story, scanning each event for possible moral in what was said. "I shouldn't discriminate simply based on what house other people are in," Buttercup recited softly. "I can have friends from any of the four houses because not all Slytherins are evil like Ron thought."_

_Her father nodded. "There you go."_

_"Now, it's time for bed," her mother insisted. _

_"Alright," Buttercup huffed. "Night, Mum. Night Dad."_

_"Goodnight little weasel," came her father's voice._

_When Buttercup awoke the following morning, her first thought was of the story from the previous night. That story would stay with her no matter what. It was a story of true love. Ripped away from each other as teens, the pair somehow found each other five years later and fought tooth and nail in order to stay together. It was the stuff fairy tales were made of. Wanting to get to King's Cross station as soon as she possibly could to board the Hogwarts Express, Buttercup made sure that her trunk was packed and she was dressed before heading down for breakfast. "Morning Mum. Morning Dad," she said as she sat down for breakfast._

_"Ready for Hogwarts?" her father asked. _

_"Yes, Dad," Buttercup replied. _

_Until about ten-thirty that morning, Buttercup and her parents spent one last morning together before heading off to King's Cross Station. When they arrived there, Buttercup hugged her parents goodbye. "I'll send an owl tonight letting you knows what's going on," Buttercup informed them. _

_"We're looking forward to it," her mother said._

_Buttercup boarded the train and settled herself into an empty compartment. She spent the majority of the trip staring out the window, watching the scenery pass by. It entranced her, so much so that Buttercup barely noticed the three other occupants of her compartment until a large Eagle owl—her parents' owl—came swooping over. When Buttercup looked up to get the package, she noticed three other occupants—a blond-haired boy with emerald green eyes, a bushy-haired brunette girl with blue-eyes, and sandy-haired boy with almond-colored eyes—sitting in the compartment. "What's that?" the bushy-haired girl asked._

_"I'm not sure yet," Buttercup replied. "Who are you?"_

_"Rosalyn Weasley," the girl replied._

_"James Potter," the green-eyed boy said._

_"Alan Longbottom," the sandy-haired boy said._

_"Buttercup," she said, introducing herself, silver eyes trained on the package from her parents. The package, wrapped in brown paper, was hard and flat, making it very unclear as to what it could possibly be; it could have been anything. "What could my parents have sent?"_

_"Open it," James prodded._

_She agreed to James's request, finding a hardcover book with gilded pages underneath the wrapping paper. Upon viewing the title of the book, Buttercup knew the reason it was sent. "The Witch Bride," Buttercup whispered, running her fingers over the gold engraving. "I never knew it was actually a book. Thank you Mum. Thank you Dad. I'll cherish this book forever." After all the time Buttercup spent obsessing over this story, it seemed as if her parents sent her a copy of the book that told the bedtime story the eleven year-old fell in love with._

_"What's that?" Alan and James asked._

_"My favorite story ever," Buttercup explained._

_For the remainder of the train ride, the quartet chatted amongst one another, learning all they could about one another. When evening settled in, Buttercup, James, Alan, and Rosalyn headed up to the castle as friends. Once they were within the Great Hall along with the other first-years, a stern-looking woman called Professor McGonagall began the Sorting._

_"Guys, what if we end up in different houses," Buttercup asked. "Would we still be friends?" After hearing The Witch Bride, this question was on her mind throughout the second half of the train ride, the time in which she spent talking to Alan, James, and Rosalyn. _

_"Absolutely," they declared. _

I hope you're right_, Buttercup thought. Several more names were called, including Alan—who became a Hufflepuff—before Buttercup began to feel jittery. It wouldn't be long before her turn came, for Buttercup to discover her place in Hogwarts. Her thoughts flickered to The Witch Bride, of the adventure that was Draco's and Ginny's romance. A part of her wondered if that might happen to her. _Maybe it will. Anything can happen here at Hogwarts.

_"Buttercup Malfoy!"_

_As she sat curled up on the burgundy couch in the parlor, Ginerva Malfoy groaned. Telling Buttercup the story of how she and Draco came to be married was draining. She hated being reminded of what almost that day. Some days, Ginny wondered if all of this was a dream; if she would wake up one morning to find that Draco was dead and that she was married to Cedric, trapped in a life she didn't want. It never was, despite Ginny's fears. Cedric was locked away in Azkaban for all that occurred fifteen years ago while Draco was beside her each day._

_A soft knock resounded on the door and Ginny looked up to see her husband standing there. "Hey, Weasel, are you okay?" Draco inquired, coming into the parlor and wrapping his arms around her. _

_"Why Draco?" she asked. "Why did you make me tell her that story? You know how much I hate thinking about that time. There was a reason I never wanted to tell her the story. As much as Buttercup needs to know this story, I never wanted to be the one to tell her. Ferret, you could have regaled her with this story; you could have left me out of this." Ginny let out a soft sniffle as Draco held her close. "Telling Buttercup that story last night brought back some painful memories. I've been sitting here all afternoon crying about this."_

_"All afternoon?" Draco questioned. _

_Ginny nodded. "Since we got back."_

_"You're been here for six hours thinking about this?" he asked, his silver gaze shifting to the clock then back to his wife. "Weasel, you could have said something you know. There was no need for you to have kept that inside for so long. You knew that Buttercup had to hear her parents' story. It was the only way for her to learn the lesson the new generation of children must learn, the lesson that will stop another Voldemort from arising. And, as unfortunate as it is, that story—the story of how we got together—is a part of this. But, I won't force you to tell Westley when the time comes; I will do that so you won't have to think about this anymore."_

_Ginny looked up into her husband's silver eyes. "Thanks Ferret."_

_"You're welcome, Weasel," Draco replied. "Now, why don't we go have dinner? You can't very well stay in here for the rest of the day. And, Westley should be back from my mother's by now as well. Perhaps spending time with our son will get your mind off of everything that Diggory did fifteen years ago." He stood up, pulling Ginny up along with him. "Come on; let's get your mind off of the past. The past doesn't matter. You have me, after all."_

_"I know. And, I'm glad for it," Ginny replied. _

_Draco did all he could do ensure that Ginny didn't think of Cedric Diggory. It seemed to work too. The pair went out flying to get her mind off the story she despised so vehemently, despite it being the reason she and Draco married. By the time they returned, Narcissa Malfoy arrived with her grandson. Little Westley was handed off and Ginny began bouncing her son on her knee as she and Draco spoke with his mother. The conversation was interrupted when an owl came swooping in. It was Narcissa who retrieved the letter and read it first. "It's from Buttercup," the older woman replied, the letter in hand._

_Ginny and Draco exchanged a glance. A bet was set in place when Buttercup's Hogwarts letter came at the beginning of the summer; Ginny guessing Gryffindor, Draco guessing Slytherin. Now that Buttercup's letter had come to inform them of the result, the bet made two months ago could be settled. "Gryffindor, Ferret. She will be like her mother," Ginny insisted. _

_"No way, Weasel. The Weasley family may have a propensity for becoming Gryffindors, but you must remember that that little girl also has Black and Malfoy blood in her," Draco reminded her. "Aside from Potter's godfather, all other Blacks have been in Slytherin. There's an equal chance for either of us to have a legacy continue. Isn't that right, Mother?"_

_"I'm staying out of this," Narcissa declared, abstaining herself from the conversation between her son and daughter-in-law. "I already know my granddaughter's house anyway."_

_Ginny handed her young son off to her mother-in-law and took the letter, setting it down on the table so that she and Draco could read the letter together and learn of what happened at their daughter's sorting._

**_Dear Mum and Dad, _**

**_When was the last time Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione stopped by? It can't have been too recently; else I would have remembered my cousin Rosalyn. I made friends with her, James Potter, and Alan Longbottom while on the train to Hogwarts. And thank you for sending me the copy of The Witch Bride. Hearing how you guys fell in love will always be a cherished memory and now I can read about such a beautiful story any time I want. _**

**_Telling me the story of how the two of you fell in love was probably for the best. Our Sorting turned out to be a rather interesting one. Alan Longbottom was sorted into Hufflepuff like his mother; James Potter was sorted into Gryffindor like his father; Rosalyn became a Ravenclaw like Aunt Hermione almost did; and I became a Slytherin like Dad. _**

_Draco smirked and looked over at his wife in glee. "I do believe that you owe me five Galleons, my little Weasel. Our daughter is a Slytherin, the first of Weasley blood to do so."_

_Ginny retrieved the five Galleons she owed her husband and thrust them into his hand, "I can't believe that she's a Slytherin. I was so sure that she'd be a Gryffindor. Though, after last night with all the times she was able to use her cunning nature to keep me telling our story to her. It should have been clear to me then that Buttercup would be a Slytherin."_

_"Indeed. Now, what about the rest of the letter?" Draco wondered, noting the remainder of the letter. "Did Buttercup write a novel here?" He allowed his question to go unanswered and looked at the letter._

**_Since the four of us agreed to be friends, we slipped out of the Great Hall during the feast to discuss whatever friendship we may have started through our talk on the train. It was agreed that we must remain friends despite differing houses. Your story helped with that; it helped me convince Rosalyn, James, and Alan that my being a Slytherin didn't matter. After Dad helped Harry save the Wizarding World, it brought about a shift in policies regarding Slytherins. What Voldemort did the Slytherins' reputations Dad fixed when he helped James's father save the Wizarding World. Besides, Rosalyn is my cousin and I would have to remain friends with her. With Alan and James it took a little bit longer to convince, but I was able to bring about house unity through our friendship. _**

**_Mum, Dad, thank you for giving the world such a beautiful love story. Your story helped the Wizarding World immensely and brings some semblance of house unity to Hogwarts. _**

**_Your daughter,_**

**_Buttercup Malfoy_**

**_First-year Slytherin_**

**_P.S. Dad, you could have told me that the dungeons were freezing. I don't know how I'll ever survive the next seven years living down here in the dungeon. Maybe you should have a nice chat with Grandma Molly about sending an endless supply of warm clothes. _**

_Draco chuckled as he read their daughter's postscript. "Seems I forgot to inform Buttercup of that." He turned to face Ginny. "You know, Weasel, you might want to speak with your mother about doing that. Those dungeons are extremely cold, especially for the Slytherins."_

_"I'll tell her so," Ginny said. _

_"And Ginny?"_

_"Yeah?" she asked. _

_"Take your daughter's advice," Draco advised her. "If even Buttercup is saying that you should put Cedric's involvement in what happened and focus on the positive aspects of the event in question, then you should. Don't dwell in the past; it will only cause problems."_

_"I'll keep that in mind, Ferret," Ginny said. She couldn't help bringing up the issue of friends. "So, Draco, what about our daughter's choice in friends? A Longbottom, a Potter, and one of her cousins."_

_"As long as they're not her only friends," Draco warned. _

_Ginny knew what her husband was referring to. After everything that had transpired fifteen years ago when Voldemort was destroyed, Ginny earned a lot of trust for Blaise Zabini; he helped her escape certain bouts of turmoil that plagued her life. And, as Draco's best friend, Ginny was sure that he wanted Buttercup to be friends with his best friend's children. "Blaise's twins right? His son and daughter: Wendell and Ava, right?" Draco nodded. "They'll probably be in Slytherin, so Buttercup should find them eventually. But, Draco being friends with James and Alan isn't so bad. After all, Harry did help us find each other again. And, Neville helped defend us from Diggory." She put a hand on Draco's arm. "Buttercup is making her own choices in life. And, after hearing our story, I'm sure that Buttercup will not make the same mistakes as we did when we were young."_

_Draco smirked. "I love you, Weasel."_

_"I love you too, Ferret," Ginny responded. _

_And so, the ferret and the weasel retrieved their young son from Narcissa Malfoy and got him off to bed before adjourning to complete their evening routine. While Draco headed off to his study, Ginny went to her sitting room to reflect on the past. Somehow, Ginny was able to achieve her happy ending, the one she dreamed about since she was sixteen years-old. Now, twenty years later, it was a reality. Two beautiful children, caring friends, and the man that she loved. After such a rocky start, the witch bride had what she wanted: Draco Malfoy._

* * *

**Author's Note: When I first started writing this, people started to wonder if the mother telling the story of The Witch Bride to Buttercup was Ginny. As you can very well see, it was. Here's the reason for that: at the end of the movie, the grandfather telling the story promises his grandson that the story will be read again tomorrow. The grandfather responds by saying _as you wish_. For whatever reason, I imagined the possibility of the narrator of the story being the person who the story is about. Add to that the fact that William Goldman considered writing a sequel to The Princess Bride about a child that Buttercup and Westley would have and the idea behind Ginny telling Buttercup (yes I named Draco and Ginny's children after the main characters in The Princess Bride) the story of how she and Draco fell in love was born. **

**The second generation, if you read closely enough, is easily determined. James is Harry and Luna's son; Alan is Neville and Hannah's son; Rosalyn is Ron and Hermione's daughter; Wendell and Ava are Blaise's twins—the mother is unnamed, but I imagine it as Padma Patil; and Buttercup as I said before is Draco and Ginny's daughter.**

**Now, thank you to all those who have read or reviewed this story. I appreciate all of the support I received while I was writing my version of one of my favorite stories ever. **


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